Smyrna times., 1931-01-21
INCREASED PRODUCTION OF
ALFALFA WORK OF COUNTY
PROVEN THAT NO OTHER HAY
CROP CAN TAKE IT'S PLACE
Recommended Time in This Sec
ton For Seeding Alfalfa Dur
ing Last 2 Weeks in August

ing Last Weeks In august
Stimulating interest in and Gre
ating a desire for more and better
alfalfa still remains as one of the
major projects in the program of
work for Kent County, and this
campaign will be continued until
the alfalfa acreage has been in
creased sufficiently to meet the de-
mands for this hay, since it has
been proven that no other hay
crop can take its place On the
farms in this section Of the United
States. AS there is usually a
shortage of hay in this part of the
country, and since this situation
was very pronounced last year as
the result of the severe drought
conditions, present indications
point toward an increased demand
for hay during the next several
years in view of the expansion Of
the dairy industry and the use Of
this feed for other kinds of live
stock In view Of these facts,
therefore, it would seem advisable
for those farmers who have fields
that are suitable for growing al
falfa to plan to sow a few acres
this coming summer. The recon-
mended time for seeding alfalfa in
this section is during the last two
weeks in August, and the usual
rate of seeding is 20 pounds to the
acre, although some farmers pre-
fer to use a few extra pounds on
/ land that is in a high state of fer
tility. The spread of influence re
sulting from this alfalfa project il
Kent county has been carefully
/ checked each year by means of a
/ survey of the total amount of seed
sales, and some very interesting
4 information has been obtained dur
ing the past four years, or since
1927 when this project was started
on a statewide basis under the di-
rection of the agricultural exten-
sion service of the University of
Delaware. In order to compare
the results of the 1880 campaign
with the records of the three pre-
vious years in Kent county, figures
have been compiled by County
Agent Russell E Wilson following
a summary of the total seed sales
as obtained from the seed reports
from the various dealers and dis
tributors. The survey of seed sales
last fall indicated that only 365
bushels of alfalfa seed were dis
tribuaed in Kent county last year
as compared to Alp bushels in
1929, 44O bushels in 1928, and 346
bushels in 1927, with a four-year
average of 391 bushels per year.
\ Considering the fact that alfalfa
is sown at the rate of one buShel
to three acres, the estimated acre
age in this county last year was
1895 acres, as compared to 1896
acres in 1929, 1920 acres in 1928,
and 1893 acres in 1927, or a four
year average of 1172 acres for
each year. The reduction in the
alfalfa paintings in 1880 was to be
expected, however, as the severe
dry weather during the latter part
of the summer in many sections of
this county made it almost impos-
sible for farmers to prepare their
seed beds and to sow the seed.
Although the amount of seed dis
tributed shows that 1895 acres
were planted last year, it is reas-
enable to assume that not all Of
these paintings developed into sat
isfactory stands of alfalfa. Sever
al outbreaks of the fall army
worm were reported in some of
the newly seeded alfalfa fields, and
in a number of these infested
fields these worms completely de-
stroyed the crop before the farm
ers realized the presence Of these
insects.