Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-09-06

| used, followed by the Sprlng-tootE
but it will be found a stand of al
falfa can be held longer if the era
grass is kept out by frequent Guilt
walton rather than trying to eradicat
it after it has become established
Alfalfa hay can be fed to good ad
vantage to work stock, but goo
| judgment must be shown in it's use
ter time and during periods of ligh
work, but, as rule. only half ra
tions should be ustd in the summe
time and during periods of heavy
work. 1t is usually best TO feed al
falfa hay in connection with SOM
or Bermuda grass hay.
Alfalfa hay is a most excellen
feed for dairy cattle. Because o.
| the price it commands, it is some
what hard to get profitable return:
from it for feeding beef cattle. How
ever, there will be a considera bl L.
amount of off-colored and otherwise
undesirable market nay that can b.
| utilized with beef cattle to good ad
| vantage.
Alfalfa hay can be used for brooc
| soWs as winter maintenance ra
ton. Special racks will have to b.
made and care taken in feeding
While it will not keep the animals II
show condition, still it keeps them II
good, thrifty shape, and because. o!
| the mineral content a good, thrifty
hitler Of pigs will be produced.
Alfalfa does not stand pasturine
as we'll as it does cutting for hay
| Probably horsts are more detrimental
| than other stock, and, for this reason
| horses should be graZed upon 1t very
| sparingly.
In grazing cattle or sheep care
will have to be taken to avoid bloat'
in0 WhQV7 fha animals first MI
on the alfalfa, it should be in the
afternoon after they have had full
| day of grazing. Putting them on II
the morning when the alfalfa is wet
with dew and the cattle are not wei
filled will induce bloating.
The most successful method of
grazing alfalfa with cattle is one
worked out in the southwest where
the alfalfa is allowed to grow until
about maturity and then enough cat
tie put on to Craze it down in two
or three weeks. The field is then
clipped with moving machine and
allowed to reach maturity before be-
ing grazed again.
The best use that can be. made OF
alfalfa in Georgia is grazing with
hogs. This is one of the best graz
ing crops for hogs that can be grown
and as it is a perennial, 1T will last
for several years and save planting
from year to year. Besides saving
the work, it is one of the most nu-
tritious grazing crops that can be
supplied to the animal, and, under
favorable conditions, will have rather
high carrying capacity. In grazing
alfalfa with hogs, it is better to let it
stock it so that it will not be grazed
down close. This may necessitate
clipping it occasionally. 1t will prob
ably be better to have more than one
area for grazing, so that when the
alfalfa is clipped all the animals can
be removed for short time. -,
A considerable amount Of care Will
have to be exercised in grazing al
falfa with any class Of live, stock:
If the alfalfa is grazed too close; 1T
will kill it. Understanding, rather
oten be Been raised
as to whether it will be desirable to
re-seed alfalfa when the stand be-
comes thin. So far this practice has
not been successful. The principal
reason for this seems to be that the
we'll established alfalfa and the new
alfalfa will not reach the best con-
dition for cutting at the same time.
The cutting has to be made with ref
ference either, to the old alfalfa or to
the newer seeding, and so when the
cutting takes place. part or the
stand will be injured For this reason
it would seem better practice to plow
the land and re-seed, or to pillow the
land and cultivate in some other crop
for year or two before. re--seeding.
From the results obtained. at the
Georgia State College of Agriculture
during the last few years, 1t IS pest
to follow alfalfa with corn rather
than with cotton. 1t appears. that
the alfalfa crop draws too heavily on
the mineral element Of the soil to
be followed by cotton. AS corn IS
not so dependent on the mineral ere.
ments as cotton, it is a better crop
to SUCCEED alfalfa.