Show I 1 GRADE SEED OATS ALFALFA IN CORN BELT J as aft T VA ie N za 1 1 P 7 making disking corn cornstubble stubble land before sowing bowing oats prepared by the united states department of agriculture the idea that oats run out and that it is IB necessary to got get now seed every tow few years to la quo common but it to ie not justified by tile tho facts thero there Is IB no reason why a good variety ot of oats oaf should not be just as good 20 years yeara from now as it Is now it care la is taken to keep it pure tho the seed should bo be cleaned and graded each year taking out tho the wood weed seeds and the small ker her nels it should also bo be treated teil for smut at least once in two or three years it if tho the seed la Is ot of good quality it will not pay to run it through the tanning fanning mill more than once to take out the small kernels and weed seeds it the seed Is poor or very weedy running it through a second time and taking out two thirds or moro more ot of the grain gran Is IB well worth while tho the reason it Is best to take out the small kernels Is that they do not mako make as strong plants as the largo large ones the weak plants from these small kernels usually produce little grain it if tho the kernels that aro are sown are all ot of about tho the same size the plants will be uniform tho the crop will nil all ripen nt at tho the same time and the yield will bo be better alfalfa in the corn belt alfalfa Is gaining in favor in the corn belt and it Is safe to assume says bays a now bulletin of the department of agriculture by carl vrooman tho the assistant secretary that part of the area now occupied by some of tho the less profitable crops will soon bo be used for alfalfa thel the net returns from al falta falfa continues tho the bulletin probably average nearly twice as much as those from corn the average yield ot of alfalfa per acre tor for the united states Is a little over two and one halt bair tons compared with an average yield of a little over one ona and one third tons of 0 all kinds of hay moreover in addition to the direct money returns from a alfalfa big returns are alro obtained andl erectly through increased fertility due to the nitrogen and humus that are left in the soil ivan given suitable soil there aro are four requirements for getting a stand of ap alj falta falfa in tho the corn belt 1 well drained landi land alfalfa must have water but it should dig its own wells 2 ac sweet landi land sour land wont grow a italia alfalfa successfully use limestone stone if your land to la acid 3 A well prepared seedbed there Is no crop more exacting about its seedbed than alfalfa 4 thorough inoculation alfalfa Is usually seeded broadcast and harrowed and rolled in but a great saving in seed can bo be effected by using nn an alfalfa drill arill which covers all seed at a uniform depth for seeding alfalfa broadcast tho seed aeed needed varies from fifteen to twenty pounds per acre when a drill Is ia used this amount can bo be reduced reduce di one third caro care should bo be used to secure good seed and it Is advisable to write to the agricultural college ot of your state for information ns as to the seed best adapted to your locality it Is almost impossible to get too thick a stand of alfalfa in tile corn bolt belt when tho stand Is thick the moro more vigorous plants choko out both weeds boeda and tho the less vigorous plants planta and mako make a thick growth ot of alno hay with slender blender stalks while a thin stand makes a rank and woody growth of at very coarse liay hay the yield per aero acre from a thin stand may equal that from a thick stand hut but tho the quality ot at tho the hay bay will bo be interior twenty to forty plants to tho the square toot Is satisfactory is and on very rich land tho the stand may bo be even thicker and still mako make a good growth alfalfa makes dinkes good pasture for many farm animals but owing to tho the dim culty ot of getting and keeping a stand it should bo be grazed sparingly and not at all during tho the first year close cropping and tramping of at tho the soil by live alvo stock in muddy weather does serious damage cattle and sheep tend to bloat when first turned on alfalfa hence benco great care should bo be taken in pasturing these animals hogs do well on alfalfa indeed alfalfa pasture pas turo supplemented by a small ration of 0 corn makes pork about as fast and as aa chea y as it can be dono done you can pasture several hogs to tho the acre allowing them to run at will over tho the alfalfa meadow without interfering so ba piously with tho the regular cuttings thus in addition to tho the hay crop you get bet at least seven months ot hog bog pasture alfalfa Is IB an excellent crop to use in clearing tho the soli soil of insects that fire aro harmful to corn and other grain crops tho the corn root aphis white grubs and other insects that anre so injurious to corn will not feed on alfalfa find and after a field has been devoted to alfalfa for three or four years it will bo be practically free of them alfalfa la Is also of assistance in getting rid of noxious weeds because of the with which it Is IB cut oven such weed as wild morning glories and canada thistles whistles es can be cleaned out of heavily infested fields by cropping in alfalfa a few years |