Show RAISE ALFALFA SEED either too much or too little water affects yield sunlight Is ie strong factor and isolated plant will wilk equal several crowded together Toge rows sh should do thinned by disk ahagh A high de development of the individual alfalfa plant to la necessary for high seed production therefore plants should not only bo be seeded in somewhat avido rows but oyon eyen thinned it if necos sary eary in the row either too much or too little water will affect tho the yield in tho first case a second growth will take place and in the other there may not bo be enough moisture to mature a crop the margin to la a narrow one and unfavorable moisture conditions account for many low yields an 18 inch raty atall properly prop orly diet distributed Is about right tor for a seed crop thirty inches will prove too much especially it if much rain falls in the blooming ee sea son bon high temperatures are necessary tor for setting of seed and it its d develop mont ment though occasionally tho the flowers aro re blasted by over hot weather oo oc sas a atonal fonal light frosts only retard seed bood development but either continued light frosts frosto or a killing ono one will spoil tho the chances of a seed crop the exclusion of insects from plants tends to mako make them sterile as the tripping of the fertilizing portions por tlona of the flowers does not take place bumblebees Humblebee a from their weight and wild bees by the insertion of their bodies accomplish tripping more perfectly than the tame bee bae which draws the nectar w with ith its probo proboscis als ordinarily alfalfa 11 sets eta its seed with the pollen from another flower but it Is bolt fertilizing it the flower bo be tripped lands where alfalfa easily finds mo moisture lature are seldom good seed producers as they make a second growth from the stoma stems of the first growth which is so BO rank as aa to lie down sunlight is a strong factor in seed production and tho the isolated alfalfa plant will equal several plants crowded together having a much better developed system of branches to carry the seed pods two to three pounds of seed per out focient tor for row seeding and a further should be made in the num ber of plants in an arid climate when moist seasons cama the tha plants will thrive below and above ground the spread of the branches will fill 1111 a very large area and when moisture is lacking the robots with proper cultivation have a much larger area from which to draw moisture the tha distance distan cc between rows may be from 18 inches up as aa high a as 13 lour teerat teet tee tat at which distances distance the sleds nt at chico cal were asgood as good as aa at any other width probably a less lesa distance will be better if the plants be thinned in the rows by the disk or plowing and the yield of hay which Is not much lessened lessa ned by row sowing over aver broadcasting be finer when n bay rather other than see seed d la Is desired the crop to leave for sped seed depends on what season of the year gives the best seed maturing conditions also in the arid country it will often be evident at the time of the first cutting that there to Is not moisture mols turo enough in tho the ground to start and ma mature turea a second crop either for hay or seed and it must thon than depend on the growers judgment whether to cut for hay and then cultivate the ground awaiting rain it the ground Is merely dry on top lop a good cultivation i will restore things but if digging diggin g ghods it to be I 1 dry clear down rain must be awaited and if the alfalfa be bd allowed to stand tor for seed in such condition my experience Is that a second growth will almost always start when rain comes the tae seed be lost and two crops of alfalfa occupy the tha ground at the same time lime this is less apt to occur when tho rain geta clear down into tho the soil than it it were merely superficial which affects the upper part of the tha P plants lants and sprouts the buds at the expense pe use of the main pla plant nt |