9 



The following- extract from Bulletin No. 20 of the 

 Alabama Canebrake Experiment Station, at Uniontown, 

 prepared by the writer, illustrates the possibility of ob- 

 taining from prairie soils large yields of alfalfa the first 

 season, even from spring" sowing. 



"A tract of dark pebbly hillside of medium fertility 

 was plowed and harrowed, and alfalfa seed was sown 

 broadcast on ]March 20, 1903. The stand was so thick 

 that weeds were not troublesome until the growth of al- 

 falfa was checked by drought, which prevailed almost 

 continuously from about the middle "of August until No- 

 vember. 



"Up to that tilme alfalfa made rapid growth and af- 

 forded three cuttings by September 3. Because of con- 

 tinuous dry weather, growth after that date was too slow 

 for another cutting to be obtained, though with the ordi- 

 nary rainfall of Septeml>er and October a ftiurth cut- 

 ting would doubtless have been secured. 



"This alfalfa occupied all of 'Cut 23' except. l-20th of 

 an acre, used for another forage plant. The area of this 

 plot, according to a survey made by ^[r. T. M. Cocoran, 

 was 55-100 of an acre. Mr. Corcoran's sur\'ey is made 

 the basis of the calculated yield per acre in the follow- 

 ing table. 



"Each cutting of hay required only one. day im curing. 

 It was then regarded by Mr. Richeson as dry enough to 

 store in the bara, where it kept without molding. 



"The yields of hav thus cured were as follows : 



Lbs. per Lbs. per 



plot. acre. 



June 16 : . . 1,030 1,871 



July 15 1,682 3,058 



Sept. 3 1,922 3,495 



Total 4,634 8,424 



