The Butler weekly times and the Bates County record. (Butler, Mo.) 1918-1950, 1922-03-16
Do You Want a Stand of Alfalfa'

4 a great many people i'll the county
are planning to seed some ground tt
alfalfa in the fall of 1922, II is none
too early to begin preparations now
| hundreds OF samples OF soil testet
III Bate, county sh.,w that majority
"i this soil requires from two to three
tons OF limestone to the acre before
! alfalfa can be grown successfully
Applications Of limestone should bt
,lIadc several mouths before alfalfa is
seeded in order that the limestone
| HAY have chance to become thor
oughly worked into the soil, thus neu-
i,alzing the acidity present. A sys-
! ten which ha, proven very successful
consists in applying necessary lime
| stone before sowing the ground to soy
beans The beans can be taken Oft
Curing August, the ground diskcd,
narrowed down and seeded to alial-
IA There is no crop which leaves the
ground in better condition for alfalfa
than soy beans
The very first thing to do, Row
ever, is to make carctnl eNauinatlOn
O.; the soil with the view TO its adapt
ability to the alfalfa crop. The
ground should be loose and wen
drained and last pat not least, It
should be tested free by the County
Agent upon receipt Of samples from
;ny farmer in the county.
Care should be exercised to furnish
the Agent with truly representa-
tive sample OF the soil in the field to
hr seeded to alfalfa. Directions for
taking samples are as follows.
In taking samples ior determining
the lime requirement OF the soil it
un,st be remembered that the lie re-
quiren,ent varies considerably in Diff
iereut parts OF the same farm. and
since il is impractical to test each
acre separately, the best plan. every
thing considered, is to take an aver
age Of the field or fields one wished
to hest. by securing number OF
soil samples from each. As lime can
he. worked into the surface of the soil
only. it is customary to sample the
surface seven inches. An inch and
4 half or q two inch blasting auger
(, the mos, convenient implement
With which 10 take sample; a spade
i. the next best. The method OF TAX
iug the sample is as follows:
Select an average place i'll the area
to be sampled, clean oil the surface
rganic matter and where all auger IS
Used simply bore down to seven
inches, withdraw it and transfer all
The soil removed to a clean paper.
Repeat this at two or three places IN
the field SO as to get an average OF
the field, mixing them all together on
the paper and working them over tor
two or three minutes with the hands
to be sure that the mixing is well
done From this mixture take hall
pint sample ard send in. placing this
IL a clean paper box or tin can
which has been washed out and dried
In case no auger is available, and
the use Of the spade is necessary,
rtean off the surface organic matter
IS suggested above and dig hole -
the depth OF approximately seven
inches, leaving one side with Verti- |
cal wall. Clean out the loose dirt
rom the bottom OF the hole Win
the spade cut oil slice having INIT
form bottom of about one-half inch |,
and trarsfer this to a ctcan pape:.
Repeat this in a number OF locations
N the field as suggested above. mix
III paper in the same way and place
ii 4 box or can for shipping.
Samples may be sent by parcels
,ost. They should bear the maine and
address Of the sender and the section,
ownsh,p and range from which sam
lie was taken. A letter should &C
the package giving some
hing regarding its general character
whether prairie, timber, rolling or
lotion land.-County Farm Agent.