| Show DRY FARMERS GROW ALFALFA if conceded to be the best legume fol foi arid regana on account of its iti deep rooting system by L C ATCH Liln idaho station if dry farming is iq to become a permanent system of agriculture it is la ab sol essential that humus and nitrogen be put into the sol boll there are many acres lit in the intermountain west where no other system ot of agriculture will over ever prevail the pon constant staDt grow ing of wheat on oil summer cummer fall allowed fallowes owed land must cease for such a system IS IB sure to deplete the soil of its plant f food at the pre present sont wheat farming meth ads largely consist of robbing the soil of di its temporarily accumulated cortil tty ity and then letting it lie idle until such time as enough plant food has been made available and enough water it haa as been stored to insure another good drop crop groua and nitrogen are very avery essential to successful wheat farming and in order to gacute e these the dry 7 farmer must malio make alse use of green manure crops that will supply these nee necessary essary plant food booda a by doing this lie ho Is improving them soil texture ail aa well as the tr capacity acety and andin in dry Is tho great est eat essential beneficial effects from pl plowing wing under alfalfa pl previously grown grown in rows for seed production have been noticed on succeeding wheat crops tor at as long as ad ten tea years at present alfalfa to Is conceded 0 n coded to be we the best beat legume for the dry lands Its deep rooting system fitting it admirably to sock seek stored stored waters water at great depths deep rooted plants are decidedly prefers preferable ble to rooted ones onea because they penetrate into the subsoil i in this way air and water find entrance rance especially pec fully ally aft erthe roots d ecay decay it Is supposed that alfalfa when plowed under enriches lobes the surface soil W with potash A and d phosphorus from the sub boll thus bringing these substances substance within reach of the succeeding lo tow rooted crops the fallow simply prolongs the time V when hen smaller crops and consequently smaller returns must inevitably evit ably come from constant soil depletion ion it to la easier to keep a sot soil up to its fertility if soil eoll building Is started when the first crop Is taken off than it if it la Is prolonged until the farmer is forced to it due to small returns thus far alfalfa planted in rows both seed and forage production has proved thare more successful than the broadcast brond cast stand or closely drilled rows lit ih creglon s where the moisture is not plentiful fuL while it will not probably itself into a problem of kopd eed production product ir ae due to t this his I 1 lack a ot ihla d ni moisture r ai aio for fo foggo ma produce I 1 tion lion nevertheless it can ibo be made a paying crop both financially and as aa a 1 doll Im improver |
