40 



to crowd out the Jolinson grass. When alfalfa is sown 

 in land stocked witli Johnson grass, fall sowing gives 

 the alfalfa an advantage over its competitor. A still 

 further means of giving the ascendency to alfalfa con- 

 sists in breaking the Johnson gTass land and sowing 

 thickl}' with cow peas, cutting the cow peas and John- 

 son grass for hay, and turning under the stubble a 

 month or more before sowing alfalfa seed. 



PRINCIPAL ENEMIES OF ALFALFA. 



Among these first rank must be given weeds and 

 weedy grasses, chief among which is crab grass. Crab 

 grass and absence of tubercles have been responsible for 

 the majority of failures that have come under the writer's 

 observation. Other weeds that have given trouble in al- 

 falfa on the station farm are evening primrose, morning 

 glories, pepper grass, and even lespedeza or Japan clover. 

 Among weeds most troublesome in prairie regions are 

 crab grass, Bermuda gTass, Sida spinosa, (a rather low 

 branched weed with small yellow flowers and solid 

 leaves), morning glories, fox tail grass, prairie or wire 

 grass, horse nettle, and cow itch vines. 



The only method known for decreasing injury from 

 weeds is one of prevention rather than cure. The in- 

 jury from weeds is best prevented by growing just be- 

 fore alfalfa, cotton or some other crop requiring care- 

 ful cultivation. The avoidance of manure made fix)m 

 feeding hay abounding in weed seeds is also advisable. 

 Manure from cattle fed on cotton seed meal and hulls 

 is the best kind for alfalfa. Fall sowing is one of the 

 best means of enabling alfalfa to get a start and tri- 

 umph over its many enemies among the weeds. Judi- 

 cious use of the disc harrow and even the use of the 

 weeder when crab grass has just appeared is sometimes 

 helpful. 



