The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1925-04-02
and what it can do to make dairying

and what it can do to make dairying
more profitable.
While Mr.. Grimm is employed by
the state he carries on an 8O-acre
farm in C Cottonwood county. On this
8O-acre farm he grows Is acres OF
Alfalfa. He said it was absolutely
essential for him to grow this amount
of alfalfa on his farm if he was to Sc
cure an adequate return on his in
vestment.
"The Minnesota SOIL" Mr.. Grimm
said. sis splendidly adapted to the
growing of alfalfa. The state acre
age is increasing slowly" He insisted
that there was not any danger OF
raising more wholesome dairy pro-
ducts than could be consumed at a
profit. The alfalfa program fits in
beautifully with this development.
Timothy, even of the best quail
ity, is mighty poor feed for dairy
COW. Alfalfa is the richest in vita
mines of any legume grown; it also
possesses an abundance of minerals
and lime, making very nearly well
balanced ration for dairy animal.
Oats, according to Mr.. Grimm, are
splendid feed, but they are not com
plete. Alfalfa is good for all stock,
including poultry.
The securing of proper seed was
of vast impol lance to the farmers
Grimm alfalfa was brought to Amer.
lea 60 years ago from Germany by
farmer who located in Carver coun-
ty, Minnesota. There are other al
falfas, but Grimm has stood the test
of the ages, and all Grimm raised In
the United States came orlglnally
from Carver county. The field plant
ed in Carver county over half cen
tury ago is still hardy and has never
been reseeded.
Tested Idaho Grimm, is the best
seed on the market this season, ano
is the only seed Mr.. Grimm would re-
commend. He said other varieties Of
alfalfa seed were expensive at any
price.
He said the best ground to grow al
falfa was that upon which potatoes
had been grown last year. This
ground should be thoroughly cleared
of foul matter, slightly disced anc
seeded. To get the best results from
alfalfa the seed bed must be thorough
ly packed. Fall blowing also makes
an acceptable seed bed. Spring plow
ing should never be used unless it has
been thoroughly packed. The seee
should be planted shallow. Loose sol
in almost every instance means to
tai failure of alfalfa. Mr.. Grimm sale
that alfalfa would stand plenty Of
frost and cold and the time to SOW
alfalfa was when the ground was
ready for it.
At the conclusion of his address
Mr.. Grimm answered many ques
lions. He said, among other things
that alfalfa will not kill quack grass
as some claimed, but that it WOULD
eradicate Canada thistles, usually in
one year.
He said the proper time to cut al
falfa was about 1000 o'clock in the
morning when the dew was off; il
should be raked into windrows in the
afternoon; turned over the next morn
ing after the dew was off, after which
it was usually ready to be stored in
the barn in the afternoon. Alfalfa
should be cut, according to Mr.
Grimm, when one-tenth to half in
bloom; this will usually mean three
crops yearly if Grimm seed is used
Alfalfa should never be cut later
than October first of any year.
Mr.. Grimm recommended sweet
clover for pasture for dairy cattle e.
He said one acre of good sweet clover
pasture would pasture from two to
three cows per year. Sweet clover
comes nearer fitting with the alfalfa
program for dairymen than any 9TH
e pastue He said 10 pounds
of sweet clover seed per acre, with
six pounds of timothy is about the
pdoper seed mixture for seeding. The
following year red clover will reseed
itself, and it should last as a high
grade pasture indefinitely. He stated
that at the Crookston Experiment
station 32 head of cows were success
fully kept on seven acres of red
clover pasture for period of SO con-
secutive days starting in with the lat
ter part of May.
Mr.. Grimm made most splendid
impression upon those who listened
to him. He impressed his audience
with knowing his subject as the re-
suit of actual, personal experience
He illustrated his talk with several
,oo,o, ox,J