The Kevin review. [volume] (Kevin, Mont.) 1922-1929, 1923-01-11
TREASURE STATE FARM AND LIVESTOCK
be purchased at any drug store

and the seed that is sOWn is covera,
to a more uniform depth. Graf,
drills with grass seed attachment
are most convenient. For drilling !,
rows on small acreage the garde,
drill is used a great deal. Two gar
den drills fastened together anf
drawn by a horse makes a very goof
arrangement. Seeding in rows q
inches apart on bench land is recog
nized the best method for seed pro
duction and requires much less seed
If broadcast seeding is done, the seeC
is covered with a harrow. Broadcast.
ing requires One-third more SEED thar
drill seeding.
Amount of Seed to Sow
In drilling on we'll prepared seed
bed, s to 8 pounds Of seed that has
a termination of IS to 95 per cent,
and drilling in 80 inch rows, / pound
of good seed is plenty. Under favor
able conditions five pounds will give
a good stand and a much better stand
for seed production and just as good
for hay. Under irrigation 10 to II
pounds is recommended on account
of the vigorous growth it makes.
Depth of Seeding
Alfalfa should not be seeded deep
er thar two inches in light soils and
in clay soils about one inch, although
in valley gumbO soils if the top inch
is dry and powdered it is better to
seed two inches deep and place the
seed in moist soil rather than leave
it in dry loose soil. The seed will
terminate quickly and be up in a
maoH wharnnr 80 oooIoI -, I-,r Jo1-1
soil, the seed would wait for a rain
and then the gumbo soil would crust
and considerable injury is the result
and perhaps no stand at all. There
fore, on gumbo soil place the seed
in moist soil even if 2 IL inch seed
ing is necessary.
Care the First Season
If the weeds come up, it is we'll
to clip the alfalfa rather high. This
can be done two or three times and
is necessary to cut down the weeds.
On bottom land a small crop of hay
can be taken. Leave a good growth
of stubble for the winter for protec-
ton to the crowns.
In the spring of the second season
the field may be narrowed or lightly
disced. The discing destroys the
weeds, opens the soil and helps to
prevent the r%un-of,f thus adding more
moisture to the soil.
Time of Cutting
This is where a great many mis-
takes are made. The first cutting is
taken too late. The best and in fact
the only way to tell when to cut the
hay crop is to examine the
and start the mower as soon
as the basal shoots start. These ba-
sal shoots should never be cut off
with the mower. Start in time SO
it is not done as 1t severely in
jures the money crop, the crop OF
gold, the crop of seed. 1t delays the
and causes 1t to flirt with
Jack frost, a dangerous and expensive
Irritation. Then too the low leaves
and fall off and the stems get
coarse and woody and the hay loses
much Of it's value. The hay crop
be off the field by June 1 or
at the latest If the seed crop is
going to have time to mature. Dry
'pring the hay crop should be cut
and on bench land the first
,rop should be left for seed crop.
Seed Crop J
On bench land, but one crop and !
hat a seed crop. The alfalfa straw
makes very good stock feed. The
and ranchers all sell their
Italia hay and feed the alfalfa straw
0 their own stock with apparently ;
S good results. The tendency is to 5
ct the cutting of the seed crop go :
90 long and subject it to the frost. '
here are always more blossoms COM 9
lg or and the crop Is let stand think /.
ng of great production and thus it /.
ften results in great loss of seed, !.
or if the seed is frosted it turns :
ark brown and is sold as frosted :,
bed at a discount Of from Az to Z !
ents a pound. If the seed crop is ?
ut before a frost and punched in =
mall piles at ICE to protect the =
eed and stems from the sun so that
lie seed may draw food from the Z
,ems, the seed that Is full grown d
ut green in color will harden and q
DIOR up in good condition and the d
nall green seed dries up and can be q
lnned out and the seed crop put in :,
O.. l condition. If the crop is s.
by frost all immature seed q
full sized or not turns dark y
and loses its value by one p
urth, and the frost also causes the u
pc seed to shatter more, which is :
considerable loss in a field of any =
and the straw is also of a poor
for the value of the straw is
the leaves and most of the leaves
off after being frosted. Out of
$1,000 pounds of seed the Valley
)unty Alfalfa association cleaned
ID graded 10000 pounds Of dark
osted seed that sold for Az cents
IS per pound, thus costing the farm-
8 $3.50 which could have been saw
by timely cutting of the seed crop.
to some of these few de-
lis will greatly increase the value
the alfalfa seed crop in northern
The average yield of hay
r bottom land is about three tons
r acre and $50 pounds of alfalfa I:
I'D. Hay at $500 in stack and =
IAN seed at 20 cents per pound,
. value of the alfalfa crop is easily
timated. On bench land the hay
op would be about L " tons or a
I'd crOp of $50 to 1870 pounds of