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Show WAYS OF SEEDING ALFALFA There Seems to Be General Misunderstanding Misunder-standing Regarding Seeding of Crop in the West. During ihe winter we made a nuro-aer nuro-aer of inquiries regarding the seeding 3f alfalfa on irrigated land under our mmediate conditions. There seems to 3e a geueral misunderstanding regarding regard-ing the seeding of this crop; some of j, :he eastern farm journals for instance r have stated, "It 13 a waste of seed to try to grow this crop on soil of a sandy nature." Another paper advised Its readers not to seed on "heavy oil." A large number of farmers read eastern farm journals and as a result are often misled by such statements, says a writer in the Denver Ranch and Range. The above may be true, and no doubt is true, under these particular par-ticular conditions, but it does not hold for our western states. The idea of seeding alfalfa very darly in the spring is not so general as It, was several years ago; this is more especially true in the windy sections sec-tions of the west. In the spring 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 the drying winds that take the moisture from the surface o( the soil very rapidly. Do not work the soil too deeply; shallow plowing, if the soil has to be f plowed, is preferable. Get the soil in shape either the fore part of June or fi the last of July. Prepare a good but solid seed 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 is inclined to blow, several methods have been practiced. One of these is to seed the alfalfa into the small grain stubble the end ot July. This can be done very nicely after fall grain, as this comes off of the ground early In the season. Another An-other good method is to seed rye about the first of July, and when this 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 fetter stands were secured on late seeding of alfalfa. Likewise have we found that the deep loose soil is not conducive to a good stand in the aver-fige aver-fige seasons. We do not recommend the careless and shiftless preparation of the soil, but believe in a good tilth that has "a solid, firm bed in which the v alfalfa seed Is placed. Not long ago we took, part in a con- versatlon in which several grain grow- ' ers. remarked that "This year we have to begin Irrigation early and force the Kraln 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 moisture we have had has put the ground In nice shape and when once the grain is seeded, will make a rapid growth. Observation and experience have taught us that too much water is a detriment and will decrease the crop as much as a shortage of water will decrease it. During the season watch the eoII 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 '..-sure of a good big yield. Irrigating the grain too young has the same ef-feet ef-feet on it as too much rain would have Jj In the eastern states. |