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Show flGRIGULTURE ALFALFA IN DRY FARMING. If a farmer on the dry plains has a well that will furnish just enough water for fifty head of stock, it would be absurd for him to try to keep sixty six-ty or scvcnty-fivc head on the same suprly of water; and it is equally ridiculous ri-diculous for him to attempt to crowd plants in soil where the moisture is limited. Some plants may develop with less moisture than others, but alfalfa is not one of these plants; on the other hand, it is conceded by all westen farmers, that an abundance of moisture mois-ture is the key to success in growing alfalfa for hay. When it is well established, alfalfa will endure long droughts and sti 1 revive when water is applied; to that extent, it is adapted to "dry farming ' and its deep rooting tendency may enable the crop to grow without irrigation, irri-gation, if the roots can penetrate to moist soil. There are many localities where the run-off from honvy showers could be collected and diverted by ditches upon soil suited to alfalfa. Often in a "draw," where moisture from the surrounding prairie is inclined r3 center, good encouragement for seeding seed-ing to a'falfa is offered. The number of plants to the acre that can be maintained in the "dry farming" district has not been determined; de-termined; but at Rocky Ford Colo, in 1908, an alfalfa nursery plat, without with-out irrigation for eleven previous months, produced at the rate of two and three-fifths tons per acre the first cutting; and then made a second growth, equally as good, that was left for seed. The plat had been seeded, in 1907, to Turkestan alfalfa, and thinned to single plants twenty inches apart each way. It -received one irrigation and was thoroughly cultivated that year. The growth in 1908 was made. .on the moisture that was stored and conserved in the soil; but such pbcnomcnal yields can hardly be expected without irrigation. In the favored spots, before mentioned; men-tioned; alfalfa' can certainly be grown if once established and property man. aged. The growing of alfalfa seed offers great opportunities to the farmer on dry lands, because the fact has been well demonstrated that alfa'Jfa yields seed best when the plant makes a slow,dwarfcd growth, when it really lacks for moisture, but has enough to set and fill the seed. Seed grown under dry conditions has more vigor and vitality than seed produced with an excess of moisture and it is usually free from dodder I I and other noxious weeds, if the field has any cultural care. There is .1 1 demand for, dry land alfalfa seed that far exceeds the supply. In "establishing alfalfa for seed production, pro-duction, under dry conditions, it is recommended to sow in rows eighteen eigh-teen or twenty inches apart, with two to three pounds of good seed per acre. A thin, uniform stand is absolutely abso-lutely necessary, even to thinning, vi in beet culture; but the Stand can usually be regulated by thcV amount of seed sown. ' It has "been found tlfat pfants twenty twen-ty inches apart willsupport each , other arid not lodge or lay on (he ground, as in thicker or thinn .r j stands. With a good stooling variety like the Turkestan, plants six to twelve inches apart in the row are thick enough. If all the'-ficed would germinate, one pouiuWpcr acre would f be ample, but it is difficult to sow .1 small quantity uniformly in the row, j and for ,ccd production, it might pay Ai to space and thin the plants. The row system is essential, as it H permits inter-tillage to eradicate M weeds, and to conserve the mositure, ( and also allows deep cultivation to 'j absorb winter storms, affording r.:i ! opportunity to furrow out the row.i a and to direct or divert anyurface I water that may or may not be need- i cd. It is the only system that vciU allow the tillage that is so essentia- to all dry farming. ' K W The four-row beet cultivator, with 1 its weeding knives and other attach- t, ments, is an ideal tool for cultivating the crop, A four-row drill adapted to sowing alfalfa seed is needed t' complete the equipment, but thfe or-jg dinary beet drill, with thtjtjJDmc( . an alfalfa or grass seeder attachment, V can be modifi d to suit the work, v The seed should be sown shallow not over an inch deep, and good re! ( suits have been secured with the common garden drill by marking out y the ground with the rows gaugedi., sets of four, to correspond to the J four-row cultivator. J Where there is an opportunity t") - use irrigation or flood water, the field should be ditched in every other vow, and the furrows "logged out1' " with a sled made of short logs, 8 to ' 10 inches ! diameter, and from 3 to ,( V ' 4 feet long, spaced to fit two furrows, 14 so that the water may be run through ris quickly as possible, for J the alfalfa crop for seed will need as i little water as can be applied. A I short rush of water after a sudden jat4eil0wcr cnn c cvcrc( ovcr consid-, consid-, craSoiind if the field is properly I ditcircd. P. K. BLINN, Colorado Agricultural College Fort t Collins. |