Alfalfa for xMew York 



1579 



and much of the grass that may be coming in. Therefore disking is good 

 practice under such conditions, but it is not good practice on a new stand. 



Pasturing 

 Alfalfa is the ideal pasture for hogs and horses, but if fed to 

 cattle they are likely to bloat. For cattle pasture the alfalfa should be 

 mixed with grass, about half and half. It is very important not to pasture 

 close, as a good stand may be killed in a single season by close cropping. 

 Ordinarily, enough forage should be on the land at any time to cut at 

 least three fourths of a ton of hay. The best practice is to cut for hay 

 about twice a season while pasturing. Treated in this way the stand 

 will last for ten or twenty years. 



U. S. DEPT. AGR., BUR. PLANT INDUS. 



Fig. 243. — Baling alfalfa from the windrow in the field. A practical method in 



good haying weather ^ 



CARE OF THE HAY 



Two points are to be remembered: first, that alfalfa hay cut young — 

 when one tenth in bloom — is more digestible and better than when older; 

 second, that the leaves of alfalfa are tliree to four times as valuable as 

 the stems. Good alfalfa hay should be about one half leaves, but unless 

 handled with care a large proportion of the leaves may be lost. 



How to cure 

 The first crop, which is usually harvested the middle of June, is handled 

 very much as a heavy clover crop. The first crop is generally quite 



