Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-06-27


is a matter of the utmost impor-
lance. Inoculate the seed very
carefully. Commercial cultures may
be obtained and used for this pur-
pose. Buy them under guarantee
as to quality and apply according
to directions. 1t is desirable that
when the sun is not shining. 1t is
good practice to plant it in the
early evening. The seed should be
covered with brush harrow or
weeder, and cross seeding should
be practiced. If the season is at
all favorable you will soon have a
good stand of alfalfa. If this de-
velops satisfactorily it should stand
the most severe freezes which &C.
cur in our section of the country
with impunity.
The alfalfa should not be grazed
or tramped during the fall, but in
the spring it may be cut for hay
as soon as the right stage Of de-
velopment has been obtained. There
was an impression for a long time
that the blooming stage indicates
the period when alfalfa should be
cut. We know now that this was
an erroneous conclusion. If you will
examine your field carefully from
time to time you will find that
when the first crop of hay is ma
ture and ready to cut little sprouts
will start out again from the
crown of the alfalfa plant. Hasten
to cut and cure your hay then as
quickly as possible. If you let it
stand longer than this the sue
ceeding crop is likely to be dam
aged. If you cut your alfalfa be-
fore the sprouts in question have
developed the injury to the young
plants may prove to be of a Sc
rious character.
Alfalfa should be cut and handled
just as any other hay crop. It is
desirable to select a dry season for
the operation, If possible cut it
early in the morning and let it dry
in the sun that day. If it can Re
cured in the sunshine the second day
SO much the better. Then rake it
up into wide rows, cock it up, and
let it cure for some days in the field.
II the weather is wet hay caps
should be used to protect the hay.
When it is properly cured haul it to
the barn and store. If it is suffi.
GENTLY cured it can be baleo if that
seems desirable. 1t can be fed to
dairy cows, of course, in the form
of a selling crop. AS a mature hay
it constitutes one Of the best feeds
To- dairy cows, beef cattle, sheep.
goats, and even chickens and hogs.
If fed to hogs it should be ground
up and mixed with other concen-
trates. The same is true Of it's util-
ization as food for chickens. Horses
and cattle will eat 1t in its natural
form with avidity.
This crop is so rich in nitrogen
that it should, not be fed in large
quantities for any considerable peri
DDS of time for horses and mules.
Mixed with other forms of roughage
low in protein, it improves the ra-
ton for any class of stock material
ly. Alfalfa is so rich in digesrible
nutrients that it may be made to
take the place of part Of the grain
ration ordinarily fed to beef and
dairy cattle, and to some extent for
horses and mules as well. Anyone
growing alfalfa can therefore cut
down the purchases of concentrated
a saving it would mean to the people
Of our state if we had good patch
of alfalfa on every farm in Georgia.
1t would add greatly to the volume
Of our food-stuffs as well. Alfalfa
in other words, may be made to take
the place of part of our corn crop
acceptahly. 1t is just as valuable
a crop to grow as peanuts or any of
the other legumes to which we de-
vote so much effort and attention.
l know of no investment which the
average southern farmer can make
that is likely to prove more profit
able.
On the college farm here at Athens
we have harvested an average Of
five tons of alfalfa hay per acre
from the same land for many years
in succession. 1t is not a difficult
crop to maintain when once we'll es-
tablished. An occasional mario wing
Of the soil and the application say
Of 500 pounds of acid phosphate per
acre seem to be the principal things
which should be emphasized. We
put lime on our alfalfa about once
in five years, using about two tons
per acre. We have been able to
maintain large and successful herds
of beef and dairy cattle through the
agency of this crop. AT certain
seasons of the year it constitutes
practically all that we feed to our
livestock. Without our alfalfa we
would be completely at .oss as to
how to proceed, and the profits from
our herds of beef and dairy cattle
would very soon disappear. This is
a crop worthy of the closest atten-
ton and consideration on ths part
Of all our farmers. 1t has limitless
possibilities for service in ameliorat-
ing the difficult situation by which
we are now confronted. AN acre Of
alfalfa will produce as much iii &C.
tual money as an acre of cotton.
There should be at least to 10
acres of alfalfa on every two-horse
farm in Georgia, and there is not
a farm holding so small upon which
an acre or two of alfalfa would not
prove to be a profitable investment.
1t will take a little time and effort
for us to understand the diosyn-
crasies of this crop, but we should
study it assiduously, and if we util-
ize it to a degree which nature IN
dicates is both possible and desirable
it will ultimately become an asset
worth twenty-five million dollars a
year to the. farmers of Georgia.
Controlling Weevil Damage in
Pecans
r. E. H, GAINESVILLE, Ca,
writes: Last year four out Of
six of my pecan nuts had holes
in them. have about 700 Stew
art pecan trees fifteen years old,
and ] wish to knew how to pre-
vent this trouble another year.
The damage to your pecans seems
to arise from injury done the ma
ture nuts by weeVils. These insects