Show alfalfa ON DRY LAW many a failures are due to poor preparation 01 0 the soil experience of farmer who started N right will bo be found of interest to miny plant will not net grow vry vory tall first season 11 10 K Il lINN Alf specialist rocky ford culo colo there thero a a wido wide interest in information for growing alfalfa on dry land and anny tempts to seed alfalfa aro are mado made each year but with almost as many fAil fadl urco quito quite often duo due to too poor preparation of tile soil bafaro hand and trying th thu ordinary thick seeding method which over pis turo tho the soil moisture mols turo the result Is a WI aturo but thoro there aro are however hoever success succeed ful attempts in growing alfalfa on dry land tho experience of a dry land farmer who started right will bo be of 0 interest to marjy many who aro are thinking of try r ing to setd so d alfalfa february b amary 9 1912 19 mr 11 E aleas ot deer trail colo addressed au an inquiry to tho the colorado experiment station which sot act forth tho the following 1 I am living on a Lome homestead stend P eight and one half miles southwest of dour door trail havo have farmed pert of for three years ono one picco piece of about oco one and a quarter acres has been deeply plowed well cultivated I 1 intend to plant tt U to grimms alfalfa in tho the spring will plant in rowa rows 43 inches apart and cultivate for the purpose of raising seed chero can cat I 1 buy tho the grimm seed and how much will I 1 need my aly land Is not irrigated the alil tudo about the soil clay bourni origin originally alfy covered with buffalo iced tho the above inquiry was answered lit fully as possible by letter that from description his deeply plo plowed piece would auld bo be sofo safe to try alfalfa fb on and that his ills plan outlined 1 give success under data date of feb 2 1913 M mr r less again writes as follows after receiving your letter I 1 decided to try baltic as you seem to think it equally good for hay bay and better yield than tho grimm 1 I bought two and uno une half pounds of the baltic alfalfa seid and attar disking the tile lacre acre piece several umes times ana anzi harrowing it twice on may IS 11 tu the evening ov ening I 1 sowed in rows I 3 feet 6 inches apart using about 2 1 pon pounds ids per acre I 1 used a garden drill to meed seed it and on the ot T may 23 less han than five days lb aho ae nl falfa was up thick 1 I clipped it july 12 when it varied from 6 to 9 inches high and again august 15 it was clipped averaging a ft little taller than the crat time it was clipped tho the alfalfa made a nice growth until the ground froze up solid I 1 was surprised that it grew a so 0 late in the season and during such I 1 unfavorable weather the clippings were loft left on tha the ground for a mulch and although ir did not cultivate last season th at ground did not crust over but re maimed loose which I 1 suppose was due to tho the deep plowing I 1 gave it tho the year before 1 I am glad you advised me to plant the baltic I 1 know it will do welt nex next season because it is deeply root pi and nd there are several feet of moisture to keep it growing from what I 1 saw here hera I 1 camo came ta conclusion of tho the point first alfalfa will not grow very tall the first season second alfalfa requires deep plowing and 2nd thorough preparation at the peed reed bed third each plant requires plenty of room to grow well |