Show M Q A e FAM by PROF P G HOLDEN forme dean of the iowa agricultural college top ia 1 1 2 inspecting plants in alfalfa field GET A START WITH ALFALFA there anro few fa marivers rivers whose profits would not bo be increased greatly by raising alfalfa there la Is no combination of food feed so economical for production of beef pork billic butter cl eggs cess and nd for growing anlin als as torn and alfalfa wo need alfalfa nir nifa because it balances tho the corn ration tind raves aves a large waste of starch which always takes place where corn la Is fed alone wo we need nl falfa because we can lit in tills this way grow on our farcas carvas the protein more profitably than wn con can buy it la in manufactured foodstuffs we need alfalfa it enriches tile tho soil and enables us its to grow larger crops of corn wita data and other grain because it produces on tin nn average double tho the teed feed value per acre that rod red clover or any other forage crop will produce alfalfa Is no harder to grow than any of the other forage crops it adapts itself readily to all kinds of 0 conditions of soil and climate and produces three and sometimes tour four crops croin it a year in tho the corn belt in the cotton belt states seven and eight crops when a good stand Is once assured it lasts four or flye years in humid regions and much longer in ili states west of the lie mississippi river alfalfa can be fed to all kinds of farm anlin animals als and has no superior as a hog pasture it adds humus to the soil and resists drought rought 1 bettor better than city other crop no piece of ground on the farm will firing greater profits than five or ten tell acres put into alfalfa ul falfa provided the work 1 li done properly and a good annd aland Is secured alfalfa a poor weed fighter alfalfa when small grows slowly and Is not a good weed fighter that Is it cannot compete V with ath weeds and especially ally with crab grass and foxtail during the dry weather of july and angust tile following methods of seeding alfalfa tire are among those that have been most successful in the TJ united tilted states late summer seeding probably no method will more certainly tily assure ti a good stand than to ran nin nuro nure a piece of stubble ground and tilt full plow it or manure the ground lit in winter or spring disk it thoroughly jig as soon as possible in the spring first part of 0 april plow the latter part of april and ami again disk it should bo be summer followed fallowes fall owed that Is disked or harrowed often enough during alay juno june and the first part of 0 july to kill the weeds and to prevent mhd ground from becoming hard sometime during the fast part of july or the early curly part of guenat tile hie ground should be disked nod aud liar harrowed roved and tho seed sown sow nt at once with n drill or broadcast and harrowed hared row ed I 1 in n oat or villear vi hant stubble ground and fair plowed la Is especially good for alfalfa disk the ground the following spring as soon as dry enough to work summer fallow and seed eced as described above tills this method tins hus tle the advantage ot of 1 clearing the of oe weeds weed the greatest enemy of alfalfa 2 seeding comes at a slack time when the work can lo be done neglecting other crops 8 3 it insures a firm solid seedbed with sufficient moisture to germ lauto fbi decd gord method for a small patch for a small patch of two or three acres perhaps the second most satisfactory method Is to manure ft a piece of ground near tile the barn where it can call bo be most conveniently used for pas turp the ground should be plowed fitted and sowed bowed to rope early in the spring tills this sli oulI bo be used for ilog hog pasture during nay and june during the first weck of july the rape stubble should be mowed down and the ground thoroughly disked then plowed and again disked and harrowed any time luring during the last week of july or the first week of august the ground should be thoroughly disked and worked down so BO that it Is firm and solid it if there should come coma a rain during the latter part ot of july or the first of august it Is a good plan to prepare the ground and sow the seed at once while there Is sufficient suni clent moisture in the ground to sprout the seed and give tho the young alf alfalfa alfil a good start alfalfa after barley or early oats A third In method ethod and one with some advantages over the others where the season Is not too dry id to grow a crop of winter wheat early carly oata eats or early potatoes will follow that crop with As soon as the grain Is ripe it should bo be cut and removed from froin tho the field apply ten or or fifteen loads of manure to the acre disk the ground to mix tho the manure nud awl stubble with tile the soil and plow and again disk and harrow borrow and work di 1 nn to give a firm solid seed 55 tk p fa ex 4 IV 5 J 41 g A 4 k A ze r I 1 I 1 X W 1 1 I 1 4 harvesting the alfalfa crop bell bed about the first week in august seed the alfalfa na as described above spring seeding with nurse crop A fourth method Is to seed in ili tho spring with a light burso crop of early curly oats or barley in case oats are used it Is best to sow not more than linn a bushel to tile tho acre cutting them when in bloom for liny hay the advantages vantages nd of this method and also of tile the second and third methods mentioned above are unit that wo we secure a crop and do not lose tile the use of tho the ground for ono one year sonio of our best alfalfa growers havo have used the beardless barley na as a burso crap crop with good results in spring seeding good results from june seeding sonic pc of the best stands of alfalfa have beon ben secured by seed seeding ng in tile tho middle or last of june for F or june seeding tile the ground Is and plowed ALFALFA BALANCES THE CORN RATION km IANS EXP 14 PISS PIGS DAYS CORN PASTURE 60 DAYS CORN it WATER 75 CORN IN DRY LOT LBS LBS LO alfera HAY DAYS too DAYS BUL in the foil fall and in the spring kept cul tivit ted or disked through april may blay and in the first part ot of juno to kill tile tho weeds or la in cas etho tho ground Is not fall plowed it should bo disked Il plowed and again disked ns as early curly in the ay as possible and thou then kept followed fall owed until the me test mst of tona jana when the seed is sown this enal enamel ries us to get a crop the first year ettl v tor for hog posture pasture or for hay advantages of this method are arc 1 wo we do not lose the use of the land for one year 2 there Is in less damage from injury hy fly grom grasshoppers shoppers than in the case casa of lato late S buniger u amer seeding 3 it insures a strong strong root system and less chance of winter killing the only disadvantage of tills this method 19 1 i that it if the ground la Is foul the alful alfalfa fa way inny bo be sino smothered liy by weeds spring seeding without nurse nur crop in the west and north it lias has been n common coin nion practice to sow lit in the spring without a nurse crop keeping the weeds mowed down luring during tile suin bum iner to prevent smothering tho the alfalfa ground that Is int inured and fall plowed Is best for spring seeding tile tho next best la Is corn stalk ground elther either mon tired the lie year before or in tho the winter or early spring thoroughly disked and harrowed and seeded about the middle of april it Is important that the weeds he be mowed three times during the lie summer or they will choke out the alfalfa falfa the disadvantages of spring sowing tire lire 1 the loss of one seasons crop where no nurse crop Is use used 2 the extra labor required to keep keel down tile lie weeds 3 ithe danger of neglecting the w scoda 10 and lie consequent loag of a s stand land or securing only a patchy stand 11 4 it Is tilt lie most crowded time alina of tile year and wo we either fall to put in ili the alfalfa at till all or slight blight tho the work there Is no one tiling thing that will do more to 0 o insure success ia lit in getting a four year old alfalfa plant stand of alfalfa than lime ilmo and barnyard manure well prepared seed bed essential A well prepared larm solid seed bed plenty of good barnyard manure and summer fallow to kill the weeds aro are most important alfalfa seed may be either cither drilled or bowed sowed d broadcast and harrowed in or even disked in ili especially if the surface of the ground Is dry sow ten tell to twelve pounds of seed per acre it if evenly distributed this will give fifty to sixty seeds for every square foot while one thrifty plant to the square foot Is sufficient cut alfalfa before it Is in full bloom or ns as soon as the young sprouts or shoots 00 ts start to grow at the base of the plant cut late in the afternoon or evening when alfalfa la Is left too long the leaves which are the most valuable part of tile plant fall off and the stenis stems become woody and the yield of 0 tile the next crop Is greatly reduced alfalfa can bo be placed in the barn or in stacks much greener than any other kind of hay twenty pounds of oc salt sprinkled over each load of hay will help to prevent healing and also add to the palatability of the hay bay where alfalfa Is used for pasture caro care should bo be taken ton to avoid vold pasturing it too closely dont turn stock block on it too early in the spring make a beginning start now I 1 would advise every former farmer to try nt fit least a small piece of oc alfalfa and if lie ho does not succeed nt at first try again and keep on trying until he does doea succeed it Is worth the while |