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Show SOW ALFALFA IN FALL Much Depends Upon Amount of Moisture in the Soil. If Conditions Are Favorable Three Cuttings Can Generally Be Obtained Ob-tained Following Season Much Seed Wasted. A large number of our successful alfalfa al-falfa growers are sowing their alfalfa in the fall. This fall seeding some years depends on the amount of moisture mois-ture in the soil. In some localities during the last few years there has not been sufficient moisture in the ground to Justify fall seeding. If the alfalfa can be sown in the fall under favorable conditions, three good cuttings can generally be gotten the following season, says Twentieth Century Farmer. If this seeding Is done on stubble ground, the disk Is a splendid tool to be used in preparing the ground. The amount of seed to be sown and the manure in which the seeding seed-ing is to be done have a lot to do in the way of getting a stand. It is claimed that if one had a good, strong stalk of 'alfalfa every six inches square there would be a good stand. Do you know that if every seed would produce a plant and every plant was placed six inches from the next it would take a little less than a pound of seed per acre? If this Is true, we are throwing away a lot of seed every year. Of course, ideal conditions can't prevail, and a certain amount of seed is always lost. Some seed won't germinate; ger-minate; some of it starts and dies before making a plant Just because, on account of insufficient moisture, it hasn't the strength to hold out. The usual amount of seed sown is from fifteen to twenty-flve pounds an cre. One of the best stands of alfalfa alfal-fa we ever had was from seeding ten pounds per acre. In considering the amount of seed to be sown, we must take into consideration consid-eration the manner in which the seeding is to be done. If it is sown broadcast and harrowed in, more seed must necessarily be sown than if it is drilled in. Wo have always favored seeding with a drill. With the drill all the seed is covered, and it stands to reason that more of It will germinate and produce plants than if broadcasted and harrowed. The ideal conditions would be to get this seed sown and covered, yet spread as evenly as possible, or, in other words, broadcasted under the surface. It is advisable sometimes to use a wheel behind the shoe in the drill and pack the soil slightly. Alfalfa Al-falfa seed sells at a good price. The man seeding a field must put on sufficient suf-ficient seed for a stand; at the same time he does not want to put on more than is necessary. He should investigate investi-gate the different drills and methods of seeding and adopt such a plan as looks to him most advisable. |