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Show GROWING OF ALFALFA SEED AND WHEAT ON DRY LAND. (Uy Sylvester I'lorce, Gunnison.. Utah.) Following are the methods which have euabled me to succeed in the growing of alfalfa seed and wheat on dry land : I have not found the growing of alfalfa hay prolitable on dryland, for only about one ton per acre would J be an average yield, at from eight to ten dollars per ton, as against an i averagb of six bushels of seed at six dollars per bushel, thus making thirty-six dollars for seed as compared com-pared with eight or teu dollaiB for bay Among the most important things to consider, is the kind of soil. For growing alfalfa seed a cool, slow, deen clav. or a lieht "crumbo" eives such a position that it projects about four inches in to the furrow made by the first plow. This will prevent any ofttie plants escaping between the pIowB. I would recommend that this plowing be done about four inches deep. Alfalfa should be thoroughly cultivated culti-vated in the fall of the year, to be followed fol-lowed by harrowing iu the spring, so as to leave a dust mulch of about four inches on the surfi.ce. In case of a wet or rainy spring I svould recommend recom-mend that the alfalfa be cut about the last of May. This overcomes the bad results of cold frosty nights, delaying de-laying the bloom, until early July, thus overcoming '""Xll damage that would occur to thfe-blossom from hot winds or frost during June ; also the uew growth is healthy and vigorous, and under this method the seed crop will ripen even in advance, of the early fall frosts, It has been found that many of the pend so much, gives me ar average of from live to sever bushels per acre. My entire crop for the season of l'JOi) made a return of jbout forty-five dollars per acre. The present indications are that this year will be equally good. We grow potatoes, pota-toes, bfans, com and sugar cane ver) successfully and the products are of a very fine quality. Not all iu the dry farm districts are a full success; the failure largely being be-ing due to ..the farmer himself. I would not have made) this- at-sertio n in my early experience, as I felt at-that at-that time much depended upon climatic cli-matic conditions ; but I have since raised good crops f- iu the most droughty seasons. f"-fLlws discovered the cause of Buccess and failure, and it is evident from our experience that a well regulated dry farm should yield a more definite amount each year than does an irrigated farm . Cultivation alone is not all that is the best results The plowing shoul d be done in the fall, to a depth of a-bout a-bout twelve inches, then thoroughly harrowed early in the spring so as to make a dust mulch of about four inches on the surface. Special care should be given in the selsction of tbe seed to be used. The best quality of dry land seed is preferable, as it is adaptable to the dry land conditions. Oue and one half pounds of this class of seed is sufficient to sow per acre. This should be sown immediately after af-ter a storm, about April loth, in drills , twenty one inches apart; I would j recommend a hoedrili, which eunbles I the operator to place the seed in a furrow about four inches below the failures in dry farming are due to over seeding and allowing more plants to remain on the ground thah there is moisture and plant food to supportj It ia not advisable to grow alfalfa seed where the pr3ciiitatiou is less than fifteen inches peranuum. Alfalfa is perennial, growing every year, hence iauai-iika-Q ther-p 1 a u t-t h a (ra r e grq vy u . p u. a-Ucy f a r my w here t here a re two. years-require 1 iu" which ---to-con- .serve., the moisture' forw -single-crop. From experience I have found that if these methods are followed out, dou- Sble the money can be made out of alfalfa seed raising thau can be made out of wheat. 1 would' here call attention to the fact, that alfalfa necessary. Judgment as to the number. num-ber. of plants to theacre, of tbe various var-ious kiuds of products planted, is one of the important things for a farmer to know. When one understands, thft, it is very easy to ar.raugeva definite number of plants to ihe acre. This is accomplished by planting a little more sedd per acre than is necessary nec-essary for a crop ; then after the 6taud is established , thin to. the de -j sired amount. This thinning, adds to the yield of wheat iu three- ways ; Firhtrit leaves the plants- the- proper distance apart ; secoad, the cultivation cultiva-tion makes the plaut grow faster and more thrifty ; third, it helps to conserve con-serve the moisture by the dust mulch surface of the ground. Care should be taken in planting, so that tbe seeds are not covered to a depth.of morej-hau puejuch By planting the seed in a furrow the plant is more apt to germinate, if it is placed ,'down i low euough to.' iusurd.of sufficient moisture,' and also be protected from the wiuda and frost, The plants should be thinned the second year crosswise of the drills, leaviug bnt one plant, to a hill, aboui twenty -one inches apart both ways. Excellent results have been obtained obtain-ed in thinning with a mold board plow, or gang plow, which can be adjusted by welding a sharp piece of steel to tbe shear of the hind plow, in once burned, is a weak and diseased plant aud should be plowed up.. -. I commenced dry farming fifteen years ago, in the eariy days of the iu-; iu-; dustry, and at a time when we knew t little of conserving the winter -moist-'are hence failures. ""Now-trlat : we prepare the soil one year in advance of tbe year iu which we grow the crops, makes ours the surest crop that is gtown under any method known to man. ' Personally I would not exchange ex-change my dry farm for any irrigated farm ; that means for the advantage of crop raising, as one can care for more acres and thus get more returns from the same labor. My alfalfa seed, upon which I ds- I which it leaves. 5 AfturHhiuuing the wheat it should then be harrowed the opposite way. This leaves about four inches of dust mulch, and if thinned to tbe proper distance apart will lUBUra a crop against drouth, .-' I have had bast results with my wheat wbyn plants are thinned from seven to twelve iocaes apart each way. A substantial fall . plant, well set in September, should be thinned to twelve inches. The late pUuts should be much smaller and would require le3s space. Each plant must have a certain amount of moisture ; tbe observing farmer, who knows the amountof moisture contained in his ground, will also kuow just what soace be sliould have betwoeu each! plant. I have raised as much, as forty bushels of wheat per acre where tha plants were thinned to twelve inches apart. I might add that I have iuvented a machine for thinning wheat, and any person wishing to obtain one or desires de-sires information regarding same can get it by writing me, March 25 1912. |