Show I ALFALFA SEEn SEED CROP CHOP RISK By J. J Cecil Alter United States er B Bureau Alfalfa seed appears to be one dot of the few crops In Utah that has bas Aso far promised yIelds near or somewhat some some- some some- what bao normal At th that t the season has not be been n the best tors forseen a aby by any means the spring was too too cool caDI retarding the first hay Crop crop thus givIng the seed crop a lat late start Then followed an excessively dry warm summer which has proved preyed prey prey- ed detrimental In many sections And so while this promises to be bea I a a. comparatively good seed year b bar barring rIng frost losses It has bas not been an unhampered year favoring especially large yIelds Nevertheless with most other crops showIng considerable d de decline cline alfalfa seed growers will doubtless watch with concern con con- cern the coming of the early autumn frosts those worst enemies or of al all allseed seed yIelds good and bad A Average rost brost Dates The average date ot of earliest kite j Ing frost do the autumn varies rath rather r I I wIdely for tor different years for the same place just as do se seasons so 8 of of seed ripening Thus the date o of greatest concern to very every s seed d grow er cannot by any known means b be predicted yet it can be robbed ot of I Iery very ery much of its tear fear and ot of Its really had bad effect by a consideration I of the dates of k killing ning frost In pa past t years ears and nd by br a watchful attention to the daily weather forecasts while while the seed is According to weather r bureau r 1 the average date of first l kill lag ing frost In t n at Desere Deser Oasis Hinkle Hinkley Delta Millard l count Is about September 17 station being h in t the midst of one or of the stat states s 's most most important alfalfa aU lf seed producing regions On th date it is about rl a fifty char that bhat frost will occur alter after whit time the risk raPI diy i r c ul n V he first r eK es esIn in October Indeed frost has destroyed destroyed de- de the crops in that district as a early s as August 30 and several tinted durIng the first week in Sep Sep- Uintah Basin Dates The average date ot of first killing frost in autumn at My Myton ton representIng represent represent- Ing another of the states state's greatest seed producing sections Is about October 5 for a a. comparatively small number ot of yearS yearS' though at ort Fort Duehesne Duchesne not a great distance away the date is September 20 for tor a much longer period The Myton 1 section section sec sec- tion is probably a Little freer from frost because or of havIng a better topographical topographical top top- envIronment lyton 1 line alas had bad killing frost near the mIddle of September and a as late as near the end ot of October while Fort Duchesne has had disastrous frosts as early as the first week In September and as late as mid Octo ber The fields in tue level bottomlands bottom bottom- lands are thus liable to 10 frost Injury Injun a week or r two earlier than the tho slopes that Is a killing frost in the bottoms ma may be only a light touch of frost on the slopes or show no frost flost at all Light Liht Frosts Hurt HUlt Alfalfa seed that is not going to tobe toe be e ripe before the average late date of earliest I killing frost In autumn or orthe the pal particular locality 13 likel likely to be bein bein in considerable j jeopardy from frost that is It will be subjected to a great risk But do addition to the risk ot of a I killing frost there are arc I nearly neal awas one or more light frosts prIor to the killing frost which I brIng mOre or o less leas injury to alfalfa seed In fact there have been seasons when there wore were no actual killing kUling frosts fr ns as a single on but when hen n a on of light frosts served to stop all vegetation growth In such seaSons the earliest date of en an official temperature of 32 degrees or lower Is given by the bureau ns as the the- killing frost date I Thus us the tho seed grower must beware beware be- be I ware of the light frost also Cutting to Avoid Frost Jol The most general practice to les- les sea sen frost injury In Uta l Js is to cut the ripening toed seed Just prior to 10 the 1118 frost The 1110 frost occurs at the coldest coldest cold cold- est time Ume of the lay ay or near benco after the tho of a frost warning In the forenoon for the the morning machines may be berun berun run well Into the night at tImes Most aced men agree that the crop should be cut when between I 3 2 and 4 3 or of the Ule seed pods have turned brown The rest resl ot of the burrs at this time will 11 be yellow turning ripe or green due to shading and other causes The yellow stage or of orthe the tho burr endures about a week during which time the seed if cut will Fill rIpen without Injury to its vitality from the sustenance In the stems Bulletin Utah Agricultural Agricultural Agri- Agri cultural COllege Experiment Sta- Sta tion Titus Thus on the Issuance ot of a frost warning all the yellow burred I seed can be cut along with the brown pods though since the yellow and green green seed are adding many pounds weight per acre per day and increasing Increasing In- In creasing gradually In quality only those portIons or of the field most subject sub sub- to frost the fiat lowlands should be cut unless the ladles ladles- point to a devastating freeze Irrigation Water ater Helps J the he field or of alfalfa seed may be ft on the evening prior to an expected ip frost and avert much dam dam- ege Mia by frost Owing to the effect of the the water In retarding the cooling air near It But wIth the existing wat water r shortage this season this method ot of frost prevention cannot en raHy be practiced D There ere is a danger jn in applying apply apply- ing w water ter that the seed will start a afew few few- growth and not only make It tide e for forthe the next frost but l the e ripening time will be deferred while lite the extra growth Is taking place r m be be more and better ch chaff by b- prolonging the growth in u this ti I manner mattner and it is 13 an im- im r r l fact ct H at if the first fete fe qi can tl averted p passed without injury great will very ery often teli Yellow several days dars or even weeks e ek k or owing growing weather I ri which to o mature and harvest the thes the's s 's seed ed l i F Fol I Every Ey r farmer f Interested i in tue her casto bf f rain or other weather changes change rom rem I day to day should make inquIry of the Salt Lake Cit City office of the the- weather bureau The forecasts for Utah are made each morning by the dIstrict forecaster for caster in Denver Den Colorado Colorado Colo- Colo rado and promptly wired to Salt Lake City Modena Ogden Provo Manti and Moab and are at once made available to the newspapers telephone companies md and the general gener- gener al public The Tho Idaho forecasts are made at San Francisco CalIfornia and are disseminated generally through the Boise office of 01 the bureau though the they are atsu alU available at Salt Lake City Special amplifications of the state forecasts for tor Hillard and Duchesne county seed distrIcts and for tor other places are usually made dally daily inthe in inthe the Salt Lake City office and tel ter- ter gra graphed hed to central agencies in those counties for tor l public be benefit cath Weather cather er reports are oare usually telegraphed from the field to Salt Lake CIl City and then the amplified forecast st for that particular locality Is promptly re- re turned It might pay par ever every seed grower In the state to get In touch with the dan daily weather forecasts during dur- dur ing the time his seed Is r there Utere may be times when he can cantal tal take e advantage Of an expected turn In the weather o 0 I r |