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Show ENEMIES OF ALFALFA i Weeds Constitute Worst Factor Plant Has to Contend With. Epecllly True In Humid Sections Where Bulk of Rainfall Comes During Comparatively Mild Winters How to Eradicate. tHy J. M. WKriTV. Ti:.) Over a considerable portion of the country weeds constitute the worst enemy of alfalfa. Thin la especially true In the humid sections and In those puru of the weKt and south-: south-: west where the hulk of the ralnlall I comes during the comparatively mild winters. Witch-grass or couch grass ! In New York and the New England , stales, crab grass In the eastern j states south of New York. blue Hi ass in tin) hluegrass sections, und the "foxtull" or w lid millets and crab grass In the central slates are the worst enemies In the respective sec-Huns sec-Huns from the standpoint of the al-tulla al-tulla plant. In the Irrigated sections of the west, especially In those sections characterized character-ized by rainfall during the comparatively compara-tively in ltd winters, tho growth of I the wild barleys Is a decided diaw- back to the successful production of alfalfa. They mature shortly before the first cutting of alfalfa, and the 1 beards of the grass heads sometimes ruin the first crop of hay, which Ir sometimes burned to destroy tho grass seed. These wild barleys are also know n as foxtail grass, s p.ilrrel-tall p.ilrrel-tall grass, and wall barley. Since alfalfa Is not usually a clean-rultlvated clean-rultlvated crop the problem of weed destruction Is a serious one. Disking Is usually tho most effective remedy for weeds, as the alfalfa Is generally benefited by the operation, while the ML 1 'w Mature Dodder Plant on Alfalfa Stem. weeds are greatly Injured, owing to their different root systems. In sections sec-tions where the wild barleys are troublesome It Is sometimes thought necessary to burn the first crop of hny. Another method Is to cut the first crop while the wild barley Is still Immature and feed the mixture of alfalfa and grass hay. The objection to this method Is that it necessitates the cutting of the alfalfa when too young. A heavy growth of crab-grass crab-grass Is sometimes burned In the early spring. Ikidder Is one of the worst weeds so far as alfalfa Is concerned. The dodder serds germinate In the ground and the young plants soon attach themselves to the alfalfa seedlings. As soon as tho threadlike stem is firmly firm-ly attached to the alfalfa plant the stem connecting It with tho ground withers away. Thenceforth the dodder dod-der lives entirely on the alfalfa. It la Very difficult to eradicate when once (stabllshed, and for this reason great cure should be taken to avoid Introducing Intro-ducing It with the alfalfa seed at needing need-ing time. Crazing close with sheep liar been recommended as being effective effec-tive in holding dodder in check. If dodder appears In Isolated spots through the field, it Is advlsahlo to cut the affected alfalfa plants very low ar.d remove them. Iiestroylng the dodder by burning with different materials ma-terials Las occasionally proved successful, suc-cessful, but It Is apt to be more expensive expen-sive than the removal of the affected portions of the plants. If the stand of alfalfa Is badly affected with dodder, the alfalfa should be plowed up tie-fore tie-fore the dodder goes to seed and the land kept In cultivated crops for two cr more years. |