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Show t fGRIGULf URE I GROWING ALFALFA AS A SEED '? CROP. (loctd crops of alfalfa .seed may Jju produced on a variety of soils, ranging rang-ing from black gumbo to sandy loamT fcvit the. general experience is that lit 6il should be well drained and ' of- average fertility. Very fertile land, and soil suppljcdvithnunbtitP' dance of moisture, produces plant, not scexK .Alfalfa 'Will not thrive on a shallow soil with hard-pan subsoil, Gr onJoQr lMDQrly tlrajncd land.' In the opinion of many alfalfa tr wera, the wcathr is a more important im-portant Tactor than the soil in determining deter-mining the production q( a good crop, of alfalfa seed. On a given sdil capable cap-able of growing alfalfa the weather is hc determining factor in sood production, pro-duction, or it may be truly said that the moisture Supply, in time and amount, largely determines the alfalfa alfal-fa seed crop on any field. On this point a majority agree that the alfalfa should have n moderate supply of water in the early part of the season; and during 'the early growth of the seed crop just sufficient moisture to produce a vigorous, 'htealthy plant. To insure a good crop of socd no heavy raitis should- fn.ll- after the" alfalfa al-falfa begins to blossom until most of the bloom has fallen, and then the weather should continue rather dry until the sod crop is harvested' and thresher) or put into the stack-. Wet weather in the later stage of its growth causes a continuation of blooming and the sartjmg of ti second sec-ond growth of alfalfa, which Jntor- feres with an ev-cn and' proper maturing ma-turing of the seed. Also it habgqn nbseiwc(l that very hot, dry weather, with a deficiency of moisture in the soil during the &ccdifprming pcriodt has resulted in light blasted seed and a low yield. It is said that, under the oujlmdjsenvcd, alfalfa flowers fail to secrete nectar and, arc hence "ffoT'icrlili.cdl i because. not sitcd by Lees and other insccjs. "'. A' rather -thih stand df alfalfa with vigQrbus alafits of- average. "gVoAVth favors-th-O'dcvcjdp.nTcnt-.of seed, while" s a thick stand and a rank growth of p.lant arc considered .unfavorable con-(htions con-(htions for seed production. The seed ' fields hpjuld be comparatively .free from weeds.. Bydisking and harrowing harrow-ing the alfalfa early in the spring, or perhaps after the first or second hay crop is removed, the weeds may be held- in check and the soil kept in good tilth, resulting in strong, wcll-djfv.elopcd wcll-djfv.elopcd plants, capable of producing produc-ing large yields of sound, plump seed. Until recently it was generally understood un-derstood that to fertilize alfalfa blossoms blos-soms required that pollen from a separate flower be brought in contact con-tact with the pistil of another flower. flow-er. This, it was explained, was doubtless doubt-less largely accomplished by insects, which transferred' the pollen from blossom to blossom while they sipped sip-ped the nectar which each flow.cr secretes se-cretes apparently for this very pur-pose'of pur-pose'of attracting insects. It is probable prob-able that cross-fertilization is largly ' accomplished in this way, but, as shown by Roberts and Freeman, alfalfa al-falfa blossoms may b self-fertilized. Tt is only nccossary that the "trigger "trig-ger mechanism" which controls the fertilizing organs be sprung by the touch of an insect or other means, possibly the shaking of the plant in a strong wind, when the confined stamens and pistil "fly up" and the pollen is dusted against the stigma and over the insect or, in the case of artificial hand pollinntion the instrument in-strument which is used to spring the little flower trap. The Seed Crop. In the more humid regous the soc-ond soc-ond or third cutting is more often saved for ee,d than the firit cultifig,. mainly because more favorable weath- cr coifumons prevail in the l,.u MU11 mcr and early fall for maturing the seed. jtlso the inserts whit n 1Uay help to fertilize the' blossom- ,irt. iiVoro numcrotts in the latter m ,, the season. OfSly in the vumIhtu. f status is it pos&ible to use .1 later crop than the third for seed J In those latitudes where the third cutting may mature seed before conl wont her nnd frost, the choice between thd second and third cuttings for seel is utfecided mainly by the leather conditions at and before the blossom- iug period. If the supply of moist- urc has been moderate and the alf.il- fa has made a proper growth and lit-' lit-' tie .or no rain falls during the blos-sonung blos-sonung period, the second cutting 'will "likely seed well," ITowuer, if the second cutting is rank in growth or heavy rain falls just previous t" or when "the alfalfa is in blossom, it is best to cut for hay. - Some growers state' that the third cutting should be preferred for seed because it blooms more evenly and matures more evenly and in a shorter period1 than the second iculting. If this is a fact, it may be largely due to the favorable weather conditions A which arc more apt to prevail dur- j ing the season of the year mIicu the , third cutting is growing and matur- i ing. , On the other hand, when the third cutting is matured for seed, sufficient growth of the alfalfa usually takes place after removing the crop to give a good winter cover, and it is the general report by those who practice prac-tice this plan that taking the third cutting for seed docs not exhaust the alfalfa plants so much as taking the n second cutting for seed, and a Mini- M lar observation is made as regards I, the seeding of the first or second m cutting, some growers reporting tlial ' when the first cutting-is allowed to v mature sed there is little or ' I k row th. after the sue,d crop is re- moved, during the balance of thesv.v ) son. H Insect pests, ins the grasshopi ?r and web-worm, arc also a factor in H determining whether the second cut- ting or any cutting may be safety ! saved for seed. The web-worm Hj more likely to attack the second cut- H ting, but in southern sections the H third cutting is also apt to be injured K by this pest. jH Seed Crop Uncertain. Hy 1 AMfhlfn is a . very uncertain l jMj I crop, and it is a difficult matter to I estimate with any degree of accuracy I early in the growth of the crop what 1 the yield of seed will be. If the wca- "l ther and soil conditions have fceen favorable and the alfalfa has made a proper growth (not too thick and !t' rank, but rather the stems should Jfj be of medium height and stout, with I many branches), and there is an even I heavy blossom over the field in five I or six days after the first bloom ap pears, and no rain falls during this period, the prospect for seed is good. The blooms should be large and of a dark, rich color. When the blossoms blos-soms arc small and light in color it is evidence of a light crqp of seed. Again, if the blossoms fertilize pro-1 pro-1 pcrly, the petals dry and stick to the 1 stem a few days, while if the flowers I arc not fertilized they drop quickly K and the stems stand bare. Even bc- K fore the bloom falls the circular pods I' arc visible. The pods should appear K thickly set on the stems, two or more in a group, to insure a good seed I crop. Finally, if by examination the I pods arc found to be well filled with seed, the crop is assured, barring ac- cidents by which the seed may be H lost in harvesting and threshing. It is even possible that after a crop is I ready to harvest it may be lost or H badly damaged by excessive rain, j causing the seed to sprout or the H pods to burst when they dry in the H In a favorable season, with even blooming and even maturing of the H seed, the rule is to harvest the alfal fa when a large proportion of the pod's have turned brown. In Ithc avenge season, ns the alfalfa matures, part of the seed will be ripe while some of the seed is overripe and shattering and some is yet immature. With such a crop it is necessary to strike an average and harvest when the largest amount of plump, sound seed may be saved. Mature alfalfa seed has a clear, light golden -color; immature seed has more of a greenish tinge and may be shrunken, but if the crop is not harvested until the seed is fully ripe the pods drop off, the seed shells easily, eas-ily, and the crop is hard to handle without g.rcat loss, -even if it escapes unfavorable weather after harvest. On the whole, it seems to the writer safest to cut the crop a little green rather than to risk loss in ways mentioned. men-tioned. The greenish colored seed if not too shrunken is good, vital seed and germinates well. Methods of Harvesting. A crude method is to cut with a mower and rak,c into windrows the same as hay. Handled in this way, much seed may be wasted. If the alfalfa is mowed in the morning when the dew is on and raked immediately im-mediately there is much less shattering shatter-ing of seed. If, cut during the heat of the day, to prevent the shelling and waste of seed men should fol- . low the machine with forks, moving ' the cut alfalfa but of the way of the team and the machine." Wlicn provide! pro-vide! with a . bunchcr or windrower attachment the mower docs better work and may lc economically used. There is -some objection to leaving the alfalfa in loose bunches or in open windrows, and unless the. weather weath-er is very favorable' audi the purpose is to thrcs.h at once, it is best to fol- ( low the mower closely, placing the alfalfa in large piles or cocks about what, a -man can lift at one forkful thus avoiding pulling the bunches apart in loadiifg, which would cause the pods to break off and the seed to shatter. Also, if the alfalfa is placed at once in the cock in this way, the seqd is prevented from bleaching and the straw settles and sheds rain and is preserved and .cured better than when left in the loose bunch or windrow, wind-row, and well-cured' alfalfa straw is said to have one-half the feeding value of alfalfa hay. The self-rake reaper is in common use, and is an excellent machine with which to harvest the alfalfa seed crop. The gavels arc dropped from the platform out of the way of the horses and the machine-. "Usually men follow with forks mid jay tftroo or four gavels in a pile. These bunches shed rain and preserve the seed and straw in better condition than the single gavels, and the seed does not shatter so badly in handling the larger, compact bunches as in handling smaller ones. Some few growers cut the crop with a "header, leaving the alfalfa in windrows across the field. This' method me-thod is only satisfactory in' a dry season, sea-son, when the alfalfa is thre'shed or stacked at once, as soon after har vest as possible. Many western H growers harvest alfalfa with a bin- IH der. The usual practice has been to H remove the binder part, but leave the H packers on and throw the -bundles H out loose, dropping in bundles by use 'of the bundle carrier or bunching M willw the fork, as already described .:M in the use of the self-rake reaper H In recent years, however, many pro- H fcr to bind the alfalfa in bundles and H shock the same as wheat or other H grain. The advantage claimed for H this method is that it requires less M help, since one man may do the bar- H vesting and put the crop into th Vfl shock if help is scarce; the alfalfa M may be cut a little greener, the seed M docs not shatter so readily and tin M straw may cure and kc'Qu .better than M when put up loose. yf M When bound aful shacked the a'- M fnlfa should stand a ctiupTe of weck, M until dry dnotigh to thfsh. If put M into the stack, thrtshcrmeu prefer t 1 have it loose, as 'bundles nne more H apt to be damp and tough, but if f"l H ly dried when stacked alfalfa should H keep well in the bundle. U is sug M gested to stack with ffiyors of alfnll'i M in order to take up the moisture M Stacking and Threshing. M The common praciieo, when it fin M be done, is to thresh from the field as M soon after harvest as the seed is & M and the straw fully cuud. If nyha- 1 chine gun be secured and the weath- H er conditions are favorable for stack- H Jug, bettor put into the stack at omo 1 When the crop is cured thani the " Continued on page 14.) M GROWING ALFALFA. (Continued from page 3-) risk of damage by wet weather. A single rain will not injure the alfalfa much if it is well bunched or cocked", but continued wet weather causes the seeds to swell and perhaps sprout, and when the pods dry they burst, scattering the seed. Some growers estimate that half of the seed is lost in this way by a few days of unfavorable unfavor-able weather. Also, if the crop is allowed al-lowed to lie in the field for a long time there is more or less loss of seed from the effects of heavy dew and damage from mice and insects, and the longer the alfalfa lies the easier the pods break off and the seed shatters shat-ters when it is finally handled and stacked or threshed. The largest amount and best quality of seed may be secured by stacking or threshing the crop as soon after cutting it as it is in fit condition. Care should be taken to not stack or thresh when the straw is too green or tough and the seed not fully dried. It requires even more time to properly prop-erly cure the seed crop of alfalfa than it does to cure the hay cop; the stems arc largely stripped of leaves and cure slowly and pack closely in the stack. If stacked green, the alfalfa is sure to heat and thus injure or destroy de-stroy the vitality of the seed. Also if threshed green or damp, much seed will fcc lost, since it will not hull properly, and if damp, seed is stored in bulk it may heat and spoil. To cure the alfalfa fit to stack, from three to seven days of favorable weather arc required, and a longer period if it is threshed from the field. When bound and shocked tho crop should have a couple of weeks or drying weather to cure before stacking stack-ing or threshing. It is safest to put in narrow stacks, and it is also a good plan to mix with layers of dry straw, especially if the alfalfa is bound and there is any indication that the straw is damp or grec in the middle of the bunches. The traw improves the ventilation of the stack and absorbs the excessive moisture. The practice prac-tice of using straw in this way, however, how-ever, is seld'om practicable better stack only when fully cured. To prevent loss of eed in stacking or threshing, stacks are sometimes covered with canvas and canvas is spread under the machine or along the stack in order to catch the shat- cred seed and the bolls which break-off: break-off: also, care must be taken to handle han-dle the alfalfa carefully in pitching and loading. Large growers of alfalfa alf-alfa often stack the seed crop in the field with the sweep-rakc and hay-. hay-. stacker Those who practice this method usually cut with the mower and leave in bunches or windrows, drying the alfalfa quickly and stacking stack-ing as soon as possible. This is a 1 rough way to handle the crop and ' occasions more or less loss of the seed, but where a large area is harvested har-vested it may be more profitable to fj handle the crop in this way than to handle it by a slower method and 1 run the risk of damages from wot f weather. When the alfalfa is left in gavels or bundles, as thrown off by the harvester, it should be taken up with a barley-fork. There will be less shattering of seed, however, if the alfalfa is in small, compact bunches, not too heavy to be lifted in one J forkful. Where the alfalfa is stacked, unless threshed at once, within two or three days after stacking, it should be allowed al-lowed to pass through the sweat before be-fore being threshed, which requires several weeks or months. The best plan is to cover the stacks well to prevent damage by rain, and thresh late in the fall when the weather is dry and cool. In order to secure ! I seed for fall sowing it is often desir- i able to thresh from the field, and in ' a favorable climate or season, if a j machine can be secured, this is the safest and most economical method of handling the crop. ' Farmers differ in their opinions as to whether it is preferable to thresh with a liullcr or with a common grain separator provided with a huller attach at-tach went. Some growers favor the usu of the latter machine because the work can be done more rapidly. As a rule, however, when farmers have had a chance to use both kinds of machines and have compared their work, the huller is preferred. Although Al-though it takes longer to thresh with a good huller, yet with a good crop enough more seed may be secured J to amply pay for the extra time and 1 expense required in fact, the owners. 1 of hullers will often pay something I for the privilege of threshing over I again the straw stacks left by the ' common thresher. : |
