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Show I WAYS OF SEEDING ALFALFA There 8em to Be General Mlsunder-standing Mlsunder-standing Regarding Seeding of Crop In the West. During ili winter we made a nam-er nam-er of lii'iuli regarding the needing if alfalfa on I rrl na l-d laud under our innifill.Hn cori,l ! t IniiM. There seems to so a general mlHiinderntatidlng regard-!ng regard-!ng tlii seeding of till" crop; some of 'he eastern fiirin journals for Instance have stated, "It Is a waste of seed !o try to grow this crop on soil of a landy nature" Another paper advised Its readers not to seed on "heavy VOll." A large number of farmers read astern farm Journals and as a result ire often misled by such statements, ays a writer In the Denver Ranch ind Range. ThH above may be true, nd no doubt Is true, under these particular par-ticular conditions, but It does not bold for our wctern states. The Idea of needing alfalfa very atiy In the hirliiK l not so general It was several years ago; this I more especially true In the windy sections sec-tions of the west. In the sprint? when high winds prevail there Is a tendency to either blow out the seed or whip off the young plants; also have we to contend with th drying winds that take the tnolHture from the surface of the soil very rapidly. Do not work the soil too deeply; shallow plowing, If the soil has to be plowed. Is preferable. Get the soil lu shape either the fore part of June or the last of July. Prepare a good but solid need bed, have the soil good and moist before seeding, put the seed In with a drill at the rate of 15 pound to the acre. Where the soil la Inclined to blow, several methods have been practiced. One of these is to seed the alfalfa Into the small grain stubble the end of July. This can be done very nicely after fall grain, as this comes off of the ground early In the season. An-othejr An-othejr good method Is to seed rye about the first of July, and when thi has reached the height of about three Inches, drill In the alfalfa' seed. After a thorough Inquiry, we found that In the larger percentage of cases better stands were secured on late ceding of alfalfa. Likewise have we found that the deep loose soil Is not ondurlve. to a good stand In the aver lire seasons. We do not recommend the careless and shiftless preparation if the soil, but believe In a good tilth that haa a solid, firm bed In which the alfalfa seed Is placed. Not long ago we took part In a conversation con-versation In which sevcYal grain growers grow-ers remarked that "This year we have to begin Irrigation early and force the train from the start." We are afraid that a number of farmers will make this mistake. Do not be afraid of the late season. The snow and molHture we have had has put the ground in ceded, will make a rapid growth. Observation and experience have laught us that too much water Is a Jetrlment and will decrease the crop is much as a shortage of water will Jecrease It. During the season watch the soil and do not let the moisture get down too low at any time during the growing grow-ing season, but If we can stay off the application of water until the grain begins to shoot, then we are almost sure of a good big yield. Irrigating the grain too young has the same effect ef-fect on It as too much rain would have In the eastern states. |