34 



leave this crop to some one else. The plowing for al- 

 falfa should be deep and thorough and it is highly pro- 

 bable that subsoiling on praiiie and other stiff land 

 would be more profitable for alfalfa than for any other 

 field crop. Harrowing must be done, not once, but from 

 two to four or more times, according to the condition 

 of the land. Usually two liarrowings with a disc har- 

 row and two with a tootli liarrow (including the one 

 given after sowing the seed) will suffice. 



Harrowing for fall sowing will be most effective if 

 done within a few hours after plowing. For spring 

 sowing this is less imperative. It is important that be- 

 tween the time of plowing and the time of sowing a suffi- 

 cient interval should elapse for rains to compact or set- 

 tle the soil. If sufficient railn does not fall to settle the 

 soil, this should be done by repeated use of roller or 

 weighted drag. One of the most common causes of fail- 

 ure to secure a satisfactory stand in alfalfa growing 

 consists in having the soil too loose at planting time. 

 For fall sowing plowing should occur at least several 

 weeks before the seed are to be sown. If alfalfa is to 

 be sown about the first of March the plowing nia,y be 

 done iiu November or December, or January, more satis- 

 factorily than just before planting. Land plowed be- 

 fore Ghristnms will only need to have the surface layer 

 freshened with the harrow at the time of sowing. 

 While the above statements embody the general ex- 

 perience, success siometimes attends the sowing of the 

 seed immediately after plowing. A farmer in the north- 

 eastern part of Texas who has many hundred acres of 

 alfalfa, describes his method of preparation of black 

 prairie for alfalfa as follows : "I use a disc plow Avith 

 four good mules, run a subsoil plow drawn by six 

 mules eighteen inches deep behind the disc. Then I 

 follo\v with a disc harrow with four mules, then float 



