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Show ALFALFA ON DRY FARM One of the Best Drought Resisting Resist-ing Plants Known. Cause of Many Failures In Semi-Arid Sections Is Shallow Plowing Good Stand Obtained by Planting Plant-ing In Deep Seed Bed. (By E. R. PARSONS.) Years ago alfalfa was considered as a sort of watercress that had to be irrigated every few days. The fact is, however, that it is one of the best drought resisting forage plants known. It has been the salvation of dry central Asia and also of the South American deserts, where it seldom sel-dom rains. It is considered so valuable valu-able in Peru and Chile and other countries coun-tries adjoining that it is often raised in seed beds and'planted out by hand In valleys where there is nj rain but some damp soil on account of underflow under-flow from the mountains. Many plant alfalfa in the dry farming farm-ing states and fail. The reason is usually usu-ally the same shallow plowing. The art of obtaining a good stand of alfalfa lies in planting it in a deep seed bed. In a dry farm paper some years ago I lemember reading that a good way to plant alfalfa was to plow the sod two to three inches, roll it, run a slanted, harrow over It and then put in the seed. This was the worst advice that could be possibly given to a dry farmer. farm-er. Unfortunately, many believed it and lost their work and their seed. Some obtained a poor stand which eventually died out, but a few who were farming over wet ground managed man-aged to raise a little. Alfalfa planted in shallow plowed land seldom, amounts to anything, even if a stand, is obtained, which seldom happens except in a very wet year. Many will say "Don't plant alfalfa on sod." This is all right as far as it goes, but when these people talk sod they mean the shallow breaking that they are accustomed to. In countries where it blows, alfalfa should always be planted cn sod, bu it should be plowed as deeply as posi sible eight to ten inches at least, and well worked up on the surface. The sod, when plowed under deeply, holds the moisture, and the old roots hold the soil together and prevent it from blowing. The deeper the seed bed for alfalfa the sooner it becomes established and the heavier the crops will be as long as the field lasts. Almost any Eoil will raise alfalfa If deep enough, but if there is any rock or hardpan near the surface it will not amount to much unless there is some seepage or permanent moisture mois-ture to help it out. |