1582 



The Cornell Reading-Courses 



Alfalfa rust 



Occasionally rust occurs in fields to such an extent that most of the 

 plants are affected. When it appears in large amount the crop should be 

 cut at once. Usually the rust will not appear in abundance again during 

 that season. 



experiment to determine what a given soil requires for growing 



ALFALFA 



Every farmer who plans to grow alfalfa extensively at some future 

 time may determine for himself the needs of his soil by a very simple 

 experiment. In fact, it would not be advisable to undertake alfalfa culture 

 extensively in a region where it had not been cultivated previously, with- 

 out first experimenting. The plan of the experiment is as follows: 



Lay off a plat of land eight rods long and four rods wide and divide it 

 into eight square plats of one-fortieth acre each, as shown in the plan 

 below, setting stakes at the corner of each plat. Great care should be 

 taken to see that the land is uniform in quality. 



■^Pply 5° pounds of quicklime or 100 pounds of ground limestone to 

 each of plats i, 2, 5, and 6; a liberal dressing of barnyard manure to each 

 of plats 2, 3, 6, and 7 ; twenty pounds of fresh soil from an old alfalfa field 

 or sweet clover patch to each of plats i, 2, 3, and 4. No treatment is 

 given plat 8. 



This experiment furnishes all possible combinations of lime, manure, and 

 inoculation, with a check plat of untreated soil. Particular care should 

 be exercised in choosing a piece of land free from weeds and in putting the 

 land in good tilth before sowing. The land should be plowed four to 



