Alfalfa for New York ' i575 



inoculation is to procure soil from an old alfalfa field and apply it at the 

 rate of 200 to 300 pounds per acre to the new field just before sowing. 

 The soil should not be allowed to dry before applying. There are 

 many prepared cultures of bacteria on the market, or they can be obtained 

 without charge from the Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C, 

 No other is so satisfactory as the soil method of inoculation. Sweet 

 clover has the same form of bacteria, and soil from an old sweet clover 

 patch may be used with success. Wherever sweet clover is found growing 

 wild, natural inoculation will probably be present. In fact, wild sweet 

 clover usually indicates a good alfalfa soil. 



Inoculation is not necessary in limestone soils where alfalfa has been 

 cultivated in the neighborhood for several years. Under such conditions 

 natural inoculation seems to be present. Also on very fertile soils, heavily 

 manured, the alfalfa will often live without inoculation for two or more 

 seasons, when natural inoculation often seems to take place. 



Manuring the land before plowing for alfalfa is a great help, especially 

 in soils on which liming and inoculation are necessary. The manure not 

 only furnishes a needed stimulus to the young alfalfa, but, what is more 

 important, it helps to m.ake the soil favorable for the rapid development 

 and spread of the alfalfa bacteria. 



SOWING THE SEED 



Amount of seed 



Twenty pounds per acre is the usual rate of seeding. On good alfalfa 

 land a satisfactory stand sometimes results with 12 to 15 pounds, but 

 with 20 pounds the stand obtained is oftener too thin than too thick. 



Time of seeding 



There are three general times of seeding, known as early spring (April), 

 late spring (June), and midsummer (August) seeding. When the land is 

 suitable, midsummer seeding is probably preferred by the majority of 

 growers, as it not only enables them to seciu"e some other crop from the 

 land the same year, but does away with the necessity of clipping in 

 order to keep down weeds and with general care of the crop for the 

 first year. The commonest cause of failure in spring-sown alfalfa is 

 weeds; but these seldom give trouble in midsimimer seeding, as the 

 summer weed crop has practically been destroyed by that time. Mid- 

 summer seeding should be from July 25 to August 10, and never later 

 than August 15. The soil should be in good preparation and thoroughly 

 packed, as alfalfa will not winter well in a loose seed-bed. 



The two principal objections to midsummer seeding arc: (i) the season 

 may be too dry to prepare the land and sow the seed by August 10: 



