Show SOWING ALFALFA CROP NO PLANT IS 18 MORE AFFECTED BY 1 conditions T in all regions not under irrigation advice Is almost universally given to plant in rows from SO 30 to 38 36 inches apart by PROF THOMAS SHAW the last word has not been said yet as to the best way to sow alfalfa some who pose POBO as teachers on this question are very sure that their ad ivice la Is correct the less th the e experience ence these men have had bad in growing it the more positive are they that they are correct there la is no plant that Is more affected by conditions the plan therefore that Is best in ono one locality way may be far from the best in another it Is greatly important therefore that all those differences shall bo be noted and noted carefully in all the region not irrigation troia from the western rim of the red river valley to the cascade mountains the advice Is almost universally given to grow alfalfa in rows from 30 to 36 indies inches apart under some conditions of growth the advice la is good under other conditions it Is misleading where the conditions are very dry it may be best to grow the crop in rows spaced thus widely but it will probably be found that in fit much of the dry country it will beaetter be better to grow it in rows not more than say 12 inches distant one objection to growing the crop in wide spaced rows arises from the soiling boiling of the crop when it Is being harvested when it Is mowed much of it falls on bare soil the horses that draw the mower tramp over it this aids in the soiling of the crop amore lnore or less it Is then raked and the raking process adds more to the adherent dust ot of course where the conditions are such that it cannot be grown without spacing the rows thus widely Al dely this Is one of tho the things that must be borne with it the crop is sown with the grain drill and every other drill tube Is plugged the rows will then be about twelve inches apart the plants will then have a fair amount of room it small quantities ot of the seed are used the crop may then be kept clean with the disk and harrow a process that la IS much quicker than the cultivation of the wide spaced rows can be there then be enough of plants on the ground to keep the crop from being soiled with earth while it is being harvested the question may be raised how la is one to know in the absence of experience whether to plant in wide spaced rows or in those that are closer the answer Is that it can only be known by trying before rushing blindly into the matter and planting a large area one way or the other it Is better to go a little slower and plant only a moderate quantity by each of the two methods of course where one of these has been tried and found successful ces cess stul ful under the same conditions this experience may be safely taken as a guide tor for that thai locality where the rainfall Is not less than la 14 or 15 inches in a year it has yet ito be proved that it Is better to grow lal alfalfa falfa in wide rows than otherwise when it is grown tor for hay possibly lit lit may be different when it if Is grown ator for seed more light Is wanted on an this question should the average rain cfall be as low as 10 to 12 inches it will probably be found that it will apay 1 rows pay better to grow it in wide spaced in dry areas the preparation of the soil Is greatly important the prepa i i ration should be such that much moisture will go down it if the moisture Is not far down dowa in the subsoil when the alfalfa to Is planted the roots will not go down where the roots do not go down the plants will not make sufficient growth the results will not prove satisfactory too much care cannot well be exercised in so BO handling the soil that it will be well stored with moisture when the seed Is sown bown then sowing Is greatly important when the plants are too thick there Js ils not enough moisture tor for each they be thin it Is surprising how they stool or rather bunch out when they come up thickly and get firmly rooted it Is difficult to thin them in fact it Is almost impo bible to do so save by the aid of a plow it if the rows are one toot distant and the stand in the rows Is too thick the plan may prove good chich runs the plow across the rows cat at intervals to cut out so some me of the plants this can only be effectively done before the roots have become too strong |