The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1927-03-31
Thursday, March 81, 1927
INV Chas. Hutcheson

are four reasons for dong SO.
Any of them is important enough
to Justify the labor necessary.
First, you want to cultivate your
alfalfa with a spring tooth drag or
alfalfa cultivator to loosen the SOIL
around the roots so that the mols-
ture and air can work down in the
ground, permitting the little bac-
terra to get the needed air; Cnhen
they will digest the insoluble nitro
gen into soluble nitrogen). Also,
the roots will have a better chance
to spread down and grow stronger
and faster.
Second, by using a spring tooth
drag or an alfalfa cultivator, you
will kill out the little weeds and
grasses that have started, and
bring to the top surface of the soil
grass roots such as quack grass,
and the roots of such weeds as
Canada and sow thistle, etc., so
that the sun will dry up these roots
and they will soon die. Cultivat-
ing the alfalfa once a year this
way will keep the blue grass from
getting set in, which is undoubtedly
one of alfalfa's worst enemies.
The third reason for cultivating
with spring tooth drag or an al
falfa cultivator is to break up
the top two inches of soil to form
a dust mulch, which stops the evap-
Grafton of moisture out of the soil.
Tn dry seasons like past several
seasons, this was very important
factor. Those who cultivated their
alfalfa helped conserve moisture,
and produced an increased yield IN
the second crop. -
The fourth reason is new rea-
son for cultivating alfalfa and was
really discovered during this cam
paign in various counties where we
are working with county agents
and farmers to overcome spotted
fields. When you go through with
this spring tooth drag or alfalfa
cultivator, you will drag some OF
of the bacteria from the health
Ter, better inoculated plants to
some of the weaker plants. BY
giving many fields that have
few yellow spots in them from
lack of uniform incubation
thorough cultivation, the yellow
spots will soon be eliminated.
Any one of the above four rea-
sons is sufficient to justify every
alfalfa grower going over his field
at least once a year. Of course,
the 1926 seedlings should not be
touched with a spring tooth until
after the crop of hay has been re-
moved. Many of the little seeds
that did not terminate till late last
fall or early this spring would be
distributed and possibly killed if
the spring tooth was put on be-
fore the first of June, when the
first crop of hay is removed. II
a spring tooth is used, It is best if
it has quack grass killer type
tooth because this is not so wide
and will slip past the alfalfa roots
much more easily than the old
type spring tooth.
During the past two years,
among the farmers attending our
over 700 alfalfa meetings, only
about one out of rs had been cul-
tivatfng his alfalfa with a spring
tooth. However, their experiences
were so satisfactory that they
recommended, in the meetings,
that every farmer cultivate his al
falfa field with a spring tooth or
an alfalfa cultivating at least once
year.
The time to cultivate is really
not as important as to be sure to
go through the field lengthwise and
crosswise either early in the spring
before alfalfa is more than from
two to three inches high or right
after the first cutting. Most farm
ers prefer cultivating right after
the first cutting of hay because
this is IA time when the soil is
packed down more than it is in the
spring, the sun is hotter, and there
is better chance to kill the weeds
and grasses that have started. At
this time, when the crop Of hay is
removed, the ground is bare, and
there is a very rapid evaporation
of moisture. By cultivation, the
capillary action is broken up and
a dust mulch formed. Much of
the moisture will be conserved that
will be needed to produce a sec
ond crop of hay. Also at this
time, the bacteria have had about
two months ito multiply, so there
will be greater number to dis
tribute throughout the soil than
there would have been early in
the spring.
However, if one feels that he is
going to be too busy at hay-mak-
ing time to cultivate, after taking
his first crop of hay off, it will be
much better if he cultiyates it
early in the spring before the al
falfa starts to grow, at least be
fore it is over three inches high.
Furthermore, if it is an old field
that has never been cultivated and
has considerable June grass or
bluegrass in it, 1T is a good plan to
cultivate it in the spring length
wise and crosswise and go in again
after the first cutting of hay is
taken off and cultivate it again !.
June grass cannot Withstand the
three civilizations.
Set your, spring teeth so tha-