1978 



The Cornell Reading Courses 



Pasturing 



Alfalfa is the ideal pasture for hogs and horses, but if cattle are pastured 

 on it, they are likely to bloat. For cattle pastiire alfalfa should be mixed 

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

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

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

 three-fourths of a ton of hay per acre. The best practice is to cut for hay 

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

 will last for from ten to twenty years. 



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 from three to four times as 

 valuable as the stems. Good alfalfa hay should be about one-half leaves, 

 but unless handled mth.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 heavy, 

 and the stems are coarse; this crop is not easy to cure. Coming at a 



time when hajdng 

 weather is not 

 the best, the first 

 crop is usually 

 cured in small 

 cocks. The second 

 and third crops, be- 

 ing lighter, \\dth 

 finer stems, and 

 coming in July and 

 late August when 

 haying weather is 

 good, are easily 

 cured . The sec- 

 ond and third 

 crops are often 

 cured in windrows and stacked or put in the mow directly, without cocking. 



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) 



Fig. 



155. — Alfalfa seeds below, compared with dodder seeds 

 above {enlarged) 



FERTILIZER AND MANURE FOR OLD SODS 



No crop responds more readily to barnyard manure than does alfalfa. 

 'Whenever an established stand is not doing well — yielding less than three 

 tons per acre — it will pay to manure. The manure should be applied 

 during the winter. 



