Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1920-09-21
Alfalfa.

| For more than fifty years many differ
tenN people have tried to grow alfalfa II
Maine. The Maine Agricultural Expert
ment Station during the five years com
Imencing In 1908 made In cooperation
with farmers all over the state, over ont
hundred trials. In many instances Q fail
stand was obtained, but the stand VA,
not permanent. And alfalfa to be o
value must maintain Itself against oil
enemies year after year. 1t Is not Q crop
that fits into rotation. Once estab
lished 1t should continue with good
yields for an indefinite number OF years
In these trials reported dozen years
ago the best results obtained by the sta
tion were In Houlton. The field waa
fairly we'll located as regards drainage,
but in the spring of 1908 when the snow
melted, q covering of ice formed over
this field and the alfalfa, as had been the
case in dozens of other fields before 1t,
was smothered out and only few plants
survived.
The writer has had in the past twenty
years letters from many men telling OF
partial success and the papers have con-
tanned accounts of good stands but until
the present season none OF these fields
when visited have come up to the claims
made. In writing the report of these
studies Of more than decade and half
ago 1t was stated that "if the difficulties
which thus far have prevented its sue
cessful culture can be surmounted, II
will more than recompense the cost of
the many hundred trials that have and
may be given this plsnt". While the
attempt on large scale was discouraged
the station encouraged the continuation
of It's growing in an experimental way.
When in the middle of August of the
present year the director of the station
received letter from Mr.. G. W. Hussey
OF Waterville saying, ~ have several
pieces of alfalfa growing on my Albion
farm that have been moved three or four
years that I would very much like to
show you", he arranged to 60 to the
farm with Mr.. Hussey, but without
much hope of finding that be bad sue
ceeded from the practical standpoint
But he apparently has. While be has
several smaller pieces of more recent
seeding the fact that he has one field OF
fifteen acres that has been seeded TO al
falfa for six years, from which two crops
a year have been cut for four years, that
one large cutting had been made In 1920
and that at the time Of the visit there
was q uniform stand over the whole
field, and that the two foot high plants
were in full bloom and ready for the sec
oud cutting was demonstration that
this farm was producing alfalfa on a
scale commensurate with anything In
the eastern states. The field looked bet
ter than any alfalfa field the writer saw
in recent trip through central New
York.
That Mr.. Hussey has worked out
method that is generally applicable IL
doubtful. But that on this part of his
farm alfalfa will continue to be profit
able crop there seems little doubt. In
it's earlier publications the station pointed
out the necessity Of avoiding water, and
that the greatest menace was winter kill
ing due not to the cold of the climate,
but to the ice covering that Is 30 likely
to cover our fields when the SHOWS OF
winter are melting. This field is admi-
rably located as to drainage, and 1t Is
doubtful il melting SHOWS can form Ice
on this field. II is located on the very
summit of dome shaped hill that gives
ample drainage In all directions. Water
cannot remain standing over the soil
anywhere and the SHOWS of winter are
not likely to change into ice as Is 80 COM
mon on less favorably situated land.
Other than the location there is little
that is notably different than in other
trials that have resulted In more or less
failure. But the result here will give
anyone who sees 1t renewed courage to
attempt to duplicate the results on bis
own farm.
The essentials which Mr.. Hussey has
followed are: The selection of piece of
rich loan with good depth of soil 80
located that water drains readily and
quickly from it. The application of an
abundance Of fertilizer at the start and
lime enough to make the soil alkaline.
Using seed from hardy strains inoculated
with the bacteria needed to produce root
nodules on alfalfa. Keeping the weeds
down the first year by rather high cut
ting and leaving all the cuttings of the
first season on the ground as a mulch.
After the first year making two cuttings
and allowing the growth after about the
middle of August to remain as winter
protection.
The novelty that Mr.. Hussey has in
the way of cultivation is after the plants
are established. On his land he fears a
tendency of the plants becoming too
numerous and Gro wding each other out.
To overcome this he has devised spe-
cial tool. 1t consists OF six foot piece
of heavy timber with q pole at right
angles for attaching team. Set in this
timber about eight inches apart are two
foot pieces of round steel an inch and q
half in diameter and ground at the lower
end to point. In appearance these
somewhat resemble an enlargened sharp
ened lead pencil. Early in the spring,
and after each chtting, he goes over the
field with this tool,-first In one direc-
ton and then at right angles, cutting 1t
into small squares. The plants are rooted
out in the nearly two inch spaces be
tween. This reduces the number OF
plants and prevents the rapid running
off of rain water.
Anyone who has we'll drained deep soil
and has the time and patience necessary
| to the proper care of this difficult plant
for Maine conditions will be greatly prof
tied and encouraged by making visit to
this farm. And II be is fortunate enough
to have Mr.. Husssy as companion while
going over the different alfalfa pieces be
will be reinthused not only for alfalfa,
but also for sweet clover and vetch fol-
Maine.
CHAs. D. WOODS, Director.
Sawdust Diet.
A progressive farmer cannot any longer
get off the old gag about feeding biz
horse or COW sawdust, and when the ami.
NAL got used to the feed dying.