38 



writer's direction, reports as follows, imder date of 

 January 23, 1904 : "All the seed sent from Washington 

 came up readily to a good stand. * * * The seed we 

 bought did not make a 15 per cent, stand." 



To test the germinating power of alfalfa, dampen two 

 small pieces of cloth ; place 100 seed between the two 

 pieces of cloth. Then put tlie whole thing in a plate or 

 saucer, cover it, and leave it in a warm room, repeatedly 

 moistening the cloth before it dries. Count the seed that 

 sprout within ten days. 



BEST CROPS TO PRECEDE ALFALFA. 



A crop selected to get land in best condition for al- 

 falfa should be one that either leaves the land clean 

 and unusually free from weeds and weed seed, or one 

 that adds vegetable matter, and hence enricbes the 

 soil. Cotton fulfills the first requirement, and cow peas 

 or melilotus the second. The land that is to be sown in 

 alfalfa next fall should be sown thickly in a running 

 variety of cow peas in May, 1 1-2 to 2 bushels per acre. 

 The vines should be cured for hay about a month or 

 more before the time for planting alfalfa. On soil very 

 deficient in vegetable matter it may be profitable to 

 plow under the entire growth of cow peas. If the latter 

 plan is followed, this mass of material should be plowed 

 under in ample time for rotting to occur, or from 40 to 

 60 clays before the date of planting. When green vege- 

 tation is plowed under at this season it is desirable to 

 compact the soil with the roller or heavy drag, other- 

 wise this vegetable matter before rotting will injurious- 

 ly dry out the soil by preventing the ri^e of capillary 

 moisture from the moist subsoil. On soils deficient in 

 lime tlie lime necessary for alfalfa can be applied before 



