DIVISION OF FORAGE PLAXTS 641 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



alfalfa sown with it the moisture it requires. One cannot expect a good catch of 

 alfalfa unless it has the field to itself. 



There are several good ways of applying the seed. The method used on the 

 Experimental Farm is to sow it in the ordinary grain drill. The seed is mixed with 

 'twice its quantity of broken grains of wheat, and then the mixture sown at the rate 

 of one bushel per acre. The wheat is broken in an ordinary grain crusher set so open 

 that it only breaks it enough to prevent it from growing. These broken seeds are 

 found better than chop or bran or any other material tried, as they flow more evenly 

 r.nd smoothly. The floury particles are screened out. The drill should be set to 

 place the seeds about an inch apart. 



First Year. 



No crop is to be expected from alfalfa the year it is sown. It is engaged in the 

 work of establishing itself. During the first year it is growing down into the earth 

 and establishing its roots rather than making a crop of hay. It should be clipped off 

 once during the season. Clip when any weeds begin to come in flower, so as to 

 prevent their seeding. The clippings may be left on the ground as a mulch. 

 Alfalfa should not be pastured the first year, as animals are likely to injure it by 

 biting off the crowns and by tramping. 



Care of Alfalfa. 



Once established, an alfalfa field needs practically no care except to harvest the 

 crop. The practice of discing in the spring is recommended. The disc should be 

 set with almost no angle, so as not to cut off the alfalfa. This loosens up a mulch 

 on the surface of the earth, helps to keep down the weeds, and splits some of the 

 alfalfa crowns, making them put forth more stems and, in that way, thickening the 

 stand. 



Harvesting. 



Alfalfa should be cut in early bloom. It rapidly becomes more woody, and less 

 digestible as it approaches maturity. 



A better indication than the stage of blossoms is the starting of the new growth 

 from the root. As soon as fresh young branches are seen sprouting from the crown, 

 it is time to cut, as the new growth then is ready to come in. If the new growth is 

 allowed to get high enough to be cut back it gets a set-back and the second crop will be 

 lessened or at least delayed. 



Alfalfa is rather hard to cure, and requires considerable attention after cutting. 

 The things that make it hard to cure are: (1) It grows a heavy crop of a very succulent 

 green character and is thus hard to dry; (2) it is rather open and thus suffers easily 

 from rain ; (3) the leaves are the most valuable part, but if the crop is dried too much, 

 or handled much, they fall off and are lost. The method found most satisfactory at the 

 Experimental Farm is as follows : The mowing machine is started as soon as the dew 

 is off in the morning, and kept going till noon or in the middle of the afternoon. The 

 tedder is started about an hour and a half or two hours after the mowing machine; 

 it shakes up the swath, opening it to the air and turning up the lower side. This opera- 

 tion may be done by the side" delivery rake nearly as well as by the tedder, and it saves 

 labour by making later raking unnecessary. If a heavy crop of alfalfa is left in the 

 swath without turning, the top will dry until the leaves fall off before the bottom has 

 even wilted. If a man has only a small area, it can be turned by hand, but if growing 

 it extensively it will pay to have either a side delivery rake or else a tedder. At the 



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