The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1928-03-22
ALFALFA MEETING
MONDAY SUCCESS
Over 100 Progressive Farmers
Hear Splendid Address by
alfalfa Hutch"
INTERESTING MEETING
Will Assist Farmer in SOlv.
ing His Problem-More
Acreage Recommended

lHe Alfalfa Lay pTOSTdul dI Tile
Sank Centre Community Club
rooms Monday was attended by
well over 100 actual farmers.
J.. B. Schoenhoff, president of
the Stearns County Fair Associa-
ton, presided over the gathering
very. acceptably. The program
opened with the first of several
very high class piano selections by
Miss Florence Vogel.
Charles E. Hutchinson, opened
his remarks by stating that he was
convinced the farmers tributary to
Sank Centre were concentrating
on Alfalfa. All were well pleased
with results.
The growing of alfalfa intelli-
gently, according to "Huch" will
do more to solve the problem of
the farmer than any legislation,
state or national.
Mr.. Hutcheson showed the food
value of Alfalfa very clearly when
he proved that three tons of al
falfa had more food value than
seven acres of oats. To get the
best results alfalfa should be used
as rotation crop on a 7-year
plan-three years alfalfa, two
years corn, two years oats, then al
falfa again.
The alfalfa acreage in this ter
ritory should be at least doubled,
according to Mr.. Hutchinson. If
this was accomplished by 1880 the
income of the farmers of this terri
tory would be increased at $780,
600 annually. According to
Hutch" alfalfa is not the cure
for all the farmers ills, but it will
do much to solve their problems.
Mr.. Hutcheson said alfalfa
should be cultivated both ways af-
ter the first cutting each year,
starting with the second year since
planting. Cultivating will loosen
the soil, bring the grass to the top
and break the crust of the ground.
Before alfalfa is planted the soil
should be treated and prepared.
Lime in the soil is essential to grow
alfalfa successfully. Where there
is no natural lime in the soil it
should be added, two tons per acre.
Z 1t will keep the soil sweet and
give one a reasonable assurance of
a crop after the field is set, re-
gardless of drouth, as the roots of
alfalfa will go down into the
ground until they strike water.
Mr.. Hutcheson said the best
land on the farm should be used
for alfalfa. 1t never should be
grown on low cold, sour soil, if
success and profit is expected.
One eighth Of the good land on
every farm in this section of the
country should be growing alfalfa.
According to the speaker alfalfa
should yield from 8 " to tons per
acre. It is the best food for live
stock Of all-kinds, and today it is
worth $25 per ton in cold cash
Assam illustration of how it pre-
pares the ground for corn he cited
a farmer near Princeton who rails
ed 85 bushels of hard corn per
acre on a field growing alfalfa the
year previous. 1t will be recalled
but little matured corn was raised
in Minnesota in 1924.
Minnesota can only maintain her
supremacy for the more and better
butter by increasing alfalfa acre
age. Mr.. Hutchinson said that if
the farmers of the United States
would grow the alfalfa they should
the annual incomes of the agricul-
turists would be increased two bill
lion dollars, quite a tidy sum of
money.
Charles Lien, of st. Cloud, an
energetic farmer, was next intro
duced. The gentleman is famous
for the success he has made grow
ing alfalfa and tobacco. He veri-
fled the claims Mr., Hutchinson had
made for alfalfa by quoting his
own experiences. He does not APP
prove of a nurse crop with alfalfa
as general rule. He said he had
the best success by first getting
his seed bed in first-class shape
and then planting the alfalfa the
latter part of June. The seed
should not be planted more than
one-half inch.
Mr.. Lien said farmer could not
afford to fool with cheap seed. He
had had the best success with scar
flied and tested Grim seed. He said
that last summer he refused $50
per acre cash for 40 acres of al
falfa on one of his farms offered
by st. Cloud dairyman. He was
convinced that the hay had been
$50 per acre to his own dairy herd.
The gentleman discussed tobacco
for short time. He said tobacco
planted in limited quantities would
pay the best of any crop on the
farm. The average quarter Sec
ton should have about five acres
of tobacco. An average family
should be on the farm to handle
this crop. The cost of growing to-
bacco runs from $40 to $50 per
acre. The tobacco growers Of
eastern Stearns received $205.03
per acre for their 1927 crop. There
Is no danger of over-production.