Alfalfa in New York. 393 



In reply to the second question, I will refer later to the experi- 

 ments made by Mr. Livingston and others a hundred years ago, 

 as they cover the ground fully. I will detail these experiments 

 for two reasons, firstly to show that the matter of alfalfa growing 

 was carefully considered at that time, that it is not a new crop, 

 as some writers seem to think (because it is new to them), and, 

 secondly, show some causes of failure. It is probably true that 

 there are many farms in this State where alfalfa will not do well, 

 but I am convinced from observation that the plant is not so 

 particular as to soils as some think. It is a deep-feeding plant, 

 and as it is very rich must be a strong-feeding one, drawing heavily 

 on lime, potash, magnesia and phosporic acid. When conditions 

 are favorable, the tap root descends to great depths. I have seen 

 a root that had extended down in a seam in limestone a trifle more 

 than 18 feet, and there were fibers going lower than this. In a 

 government report it is stated that roots 50 to 60 feet in depth 

 have been recorded. 



The character of the subsoil has much to do with success in 

 alfalfa growing^, and in this as at the surface, drainage is necessary, 

 as an excess of water in the subsoil will kill it as surely as too much 

 water on the surface will. Many of the best fields of alfalfa in 

 central New York are over solid limestone, and in some cases 

 there is less than two feet of soil above the rock. It has been 

 stated by a noted argostologist that alfalfa will not do well on any 

 soil, no matter how rich or well prepared, if the field is underlaid 

 with impermeable subsoil, or by rock or hard pan. While he is 

 correct in a measure, no one on limestone which has more or less 

 seams extending down to moisture, need fear to experiment with 

 alfalfa. 



I do not advise anyone to bother with it where the water level 

 comes near the surface, or where the hard pan subsoil holds the 

 water for any great length of time in the spring. On the soils that 

 are best adapted to growing it, it is most often a failure because of 

 one or more of the following reasons : Lack of proper preparation 

 of the soil. The old traditional onion bed surface is none too good. 

 I believe it pays to subsoil, running a subsoil plow in the furrow 

 made by a common plow, and loosening the ground for at least 

 1 5 inches in depth ; but the ground should be allowed to settle be- 

 fore seeding. If there is the least possible trace of acid in the soil, 

 it should be corrected before the seed is sown. 



Too little seed. The labor of preparing the soil is just as great 

 for a poor catch as a good one, and one cannot afford the risk of 



