The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1928-04-19

In these particular spots there was
not enough of the lime that be-
came moist to clean up the acidity.
It is a good plan to put the lime
on 80 to go days before seeding
alfalfa, or at least time enough
for a couple of good, soaking rains
to come onto the ground that has
been lined before the inoculated
seed has been sown.
Firming the Seed Bed
Whether alfalfa is seeded alone
or with a light nurse crop of some
kind, the firming of the seeibed is
the most important of any of the
things that can be done at seeding
time. l fail to see how a common
disc harrow can firm a seedbed
down that is dry and loose so as to
bring about conditions that alfalfa
should have. Above all things, re-
member that this little alfalfa or
sweet clover seed is very small. 1t
does not contain enough plant food
to send a leaf shoot very far up
through the soil to get out so as
to get sunlight and air. Nor does
it have sufficient plant food stored
up in it to send a root down in the
soil very far to get moisture and
plant food. So it is of special i'm
portance that the seeded is firm
| ed down, and by firming it down
the clods are going to be broken
up into a mellow, easily penetrated
soil.
Nurse Crop on Sandy Soils
Unless the sandy soil has been
heavily MANFRED recently, it is not
advisable to use nurse crop I'M
less it is only a light one of about
two pecks of oats or barley or
winter rye as did Mr.. Glover thus
using the nurse crop mainly as a
protection against the drifting
sand. | have seen some of the
best, most healthy stands Of alfalfa
in the state, right on sandy loan
soils, but the soil was prepared and
summer fallowed up until sometime
in the latter part of June or July
and the first week in August, and
then during the rainy spell, alfalfa
was inoculated with bacteria and
seeded, and the land was rolled
with corrugated roller of some
kind and left in this ridgy condi-
ton.
On rich, sandy loan or clay loan
soils, nurse crops are more general
ly used and if they do not lodge,
have proven very successful if
sown not too thick and removed as
early as possible.
Seeding Alfalfa in Corn
Some Of the best fields of al
falfa in the state were seeded at
the last cultivating of corn. The
corn should be checked. If the
soil is acid, the lime should be put
on the land before the corn is
planted. However, it can be spread
later on if time does not permit
one to get the lime on in the
spring. This is one way that you
can still put in alfalfa if you can't
get your lime or mari on the
ground until later in the season.
After you have broadcast the in
oculated seed, set your shovels so
that they will not ditch your soil
up around the corn, and then take
a little plank drag wide enough to
go through the corn rows, hook
one horse to it and go through the
field both ways to level and firm
off the ground in the proper man.
ner for the best Interest of these
little alfalfa seeds or plants.
Seeding in Rows
A good many who desire to pro-
duce seed have found it a good
method to drill alfalfa in rows
far enough apart so as to be able
to cultivate them with cultivator.
Great care should be taken in hav-
ing the ground absolutely free
from weeds, especially quack
grass, Canadian Thistle, sow thistle
and other weeds or grasses that
will spread by root. On soils that
are more apt to be Dry, this meth
cd of putting alfalfa in rows should
prove quite satisfactory because it
will permit cultivating to keep a
dust mulch on, and thus conserve
the moisture during the driest per-
iods. "'.E.
Sweet and Well Drained Soils
If your soil is high in lime, or
you have spread lime on it, and it
is well drained and you have inocu-
lated your seed and firmed down
your seedbed, on the average ricn
clay or sandy clay loan soils it
isn't going to make so much diff
ference If you use nurse crop
or if you seed alfalfa alone. Get
ting the right variety of alfalfa
and taking all the steps to insure
proper conditions of soil so as to
clean Ii, The scidity, if there is
any, ani II getting the seed il not
too deep, n It over an incn, and
then firn:ing down the soil after
the alfalfa seed has been put in,
are the most important things to
keep in mind.