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Show SOWING TWO POUNDS TO ACRE Practical Dry Farmer, Operating Near Lethbridge, Alberta, Has Surprising Sur-prising Alfalfa Stand. That alfalfa will grow prolific on seeding of only two pounds to the acre Is the opinion of L. A. Felger. a practical prac-tical dry-farmer operating a very large acreage eight mileB south of Lethbridge, Leth-bridge, Alberta. The use of this surprisingly sur-prisingly small quantity of scud Is lu marked contrast to the opinions of many experts who have been making i study of alfalfa for many years, in that opinions as to the quantity of seed to be sown have vari-d from 13 to 20 pounds to the acre. Mr. Felger has an excellent stand of 12 acres, which was. seeded with only four pounds to the acre In May, 1911, an fall plowing that had been cropped the year before. His plowing was doue to a depth of five and n half to six Inches, and he believes that If he had plowed deeper he would have required re-quired less seed. His seed bed was well prepared and he used a two-horse cultivator lour times, and harrowed early In the spring. - He inoculated the soli with soil from a neighboring alfalfa al-falfa field, and despite the fact that It was a severe winter he noted no loss through winter killing. He expects his field will yield two and possibly three cuttings. To prove the success of his theory of planting in rows and using only a small quantity of seed to secure a good stand, Mr. Felger has sent to the lethbridge headquarters of the International Inter-national Dry-Farming congress a sample dug up on May 22, which shows a 15-inch stand and a root system sys-tem of 31',4 inches beforo it was cut off with a knife. 'I am going to seed only two pounds to the acre next year," says Mr. Felger. Fel-ger. "I find that four pounds makes too thick a staud, and I am going to stop up all the holes of my drill except two and thus reduce the amount of seed used, and at the same time mix my seed with ground feed. I sowed some alfalfa where I used every hole of the drill and it required 13 pounds to the acre. This stand was altogether too thick and not as good In its first growth as the field of 12 acres which I sowed with only four pounds." |
