Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-01-21
Do Not Yet Alfalfa Bloom the First
Year.

early growth n may be. Tree Of
weeds and on this account it Is left
large enough to make a hay crop. IT
on account Of the aso being UNI
favorable or some other reason. the
alfalfa does not get large enough to
make a hay cr0p 1t Is not considered
necessary to clip it, and very often
within about sixty to ninety days at
ter , seeding; the alfalfa will stop
Erowtng,, and turn yeIlow' and very
the plant apparently at first has the
characteristic of n annual plant.
which is to produce seed and then
die. The clipping back OF the alfalfa
the first year seems to throw the
strength Of growth into the root sys-
tenn instead of developing to produce
seed. Consequently the clipping back
for this reason Is very essential. II
ing, it will reach the blooming stage
In sixty to seventy days and undvubt-
eddy should be cut as 0on as this
stage is reached. 1t will be found
that by this time there are numerous
buds starting at the crown of tho
plant. although the tillers may not
grow to any extent before it is cut.
We have dug up alfalfa plants six
weeks old that had the crow buds
fully developed. =
The alfalfa should be, clipped back
before the blooming period. unless it
was sown late. and would barely
reach this stage by the time of the
first killing frost. That Is, alfalfa,
sown late in June might not need to
be cut at all, and it would be best to
leave the growth for protection. How
month after the alfalfa is seeded
alone it should be Clipped back, I'M
less the land is very clean. But. it
should never be left to bloom and
produce seed the first year This is
certain to weaken IN plant until. 1t
will make a very slow growth the
next year., If any growth at all.
When To Cut Alfalfa.
The making of alfalfa hay will be
taken up in a later article, but there
are certain conditions of growth that
determine when It should be cut. AS
previously stated, the appearance of
rblobmA ISL ar indication alGt the
growth is practically matured.;s How
ever, it is%not safe TO depend wholly
on the bloom. especially for the first
cutting. Owing to the cold spring
and late frosts. the bloom buds may
be largely killed as well as some Of
the growth. This neal that the al
falfa will not bloom normally, so
those who wait On the blooms as an
indication of the time to cut are
badly fooled, and as a consequence
In many cases lose almost a full tut.
ting of hay.
Nature has provided alfalfa with a
manne of growth that is peculiar to
itself. Just as soon as anything hap
pens to the growth that is already
being made. new buos and shoots are
startedN at the crown, to lake the
place of the growth that has already
been made. Apparently it anticipates
the fact that the crop of hay will be
cut, and about the time the top
reaches the nature stage there win
be a full set Of new buds starting
from the crown to take the place, of
the growth that is to be cut off. Con-
s~equently it Is advisable to carefully
watch at the base of the older growth
for the appearance of the new
growth. n just as soon as this new
growth has begun to make it's ap-.
cut Off If there is a delay of a week
or ten days in time of cutting, the
new growth will be cut also, and as q
consequence the second crop of hay
will be delayed. There is apparently
a great deal less danger in cutting the
hay too early than too late, and from
observations, especially in this section
he growing of alfalfa is rela-
tive!Y new. it would be quite safe to
say that nine-tenths Of the hay is cut
later than it should be.
1t has been found that the alfalfa
hay contains the greatest feeding
value when about one-tenth in bloom.
This blooming Of course depends as
previously stated. entirely on the sea-
son. andthererore cannot be relied
upon, especially in the north. II the
field is watched carefully it will. be
noted that the bloom is rather slow
in appearing. That it,. the bloom
does not come-all at once, and the
nrst blooms are apt to be rather un-
noticed unless they are being looked
for.
It will also be noticed that If the
side. it is much easier to save the
leaves. than IL it Is too ripe Alfalfa. |
like n other plant, when mature
tends to shed its leaves naturally. |
The same conditions hold here As
with the leaves on the branch Of a
tree. If a branch of an ordinary
bog elder; for instance. breaks off
sise. they will dry up and remain on
the branch. even after the leaves on
the tree have fallen of naturally in
me tall. This ID because of the fact
that Nature provides for the failing
OF these leaves when matured. and IT,
not <matured they will hang on This
10 one Of the important reasons for
cutting alfalfa rather green. It will
be noted that by the time the tillers
1T the bottom Of the alfalfa plant are
two Or thres inches hish.s nearly all
the leaves on the sterE1 will have
dropped OIL. This condition II par-
ing cut.
It will be- . great surprise siso. to
those who have not had occasion toll
note the rapid growth OF alfalfa after
the early cutting. It will often be
observed that tf sons aifalfs = cut on
ON side of the hsld. while y II yet
very green, before the portion not
sM IA fun bloom the nSH growth
"a The psrtiieeln Ut ssrly SSil bs, al
ssaost :as asiates q ths past npt cut.
f1SefeSgNSeHrs thsy Wess soysn for the
RSsy9e!!g axltstnS q ssseding green.
ekAetd 4ftsr beinxf
fsssT,.s:t {.