No. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 459 



seed, in this rotation which requires three years to go over the farm. 

 Let this represent fields Nos. 1, 2 and 3. Suppose we start this on 

 field No. 1 in 1910, sowing clover and alfalfa on the wheat ground 

 in the Spring. We mix in the clover seed, one-fourth alfalfa. It 

 requires three years to get once over each field, 1910 for field No. 1, 

 1911 for field No. 2 and 1912 for field No. 3; and then beginning the 

 second cycle 1913, with these same fields Nos. 1, 2 and 3 we use fifty 

 per cent, alfalfa. 1916-1918—3 years, 75 per cent, alfalfa— 1919, all 

 alfalfa. Suppose we have ten acres and we wish to apply one-half 

 bushel per acre, we would mix in the five bushels of seed, two and 

 oue-half bushels of alfalfa and two and one-half bushels of medium 

 red clover well mixed; then sow it together. We watch for certain 

 conditions as we like to see the soil dry, and well checked up, taking 

 the afternoon, because the soil is checked up more in the afternoon 

 than in the morning. It is dryer and there are no wet leaves having 

 the dew on them. We sow the seed with a broad-caster. Consider- 

 able seed goes into the checkings. These checkings ought not to be 

 too deep. If too deep the seed gets into the ground too deep and will 

 not germinate. The next morning we go on the field with a lever set, 3 

 section, spike tooth harrow, teeth straight up and down. We can har- 

 row fifteen acres in half a day. We like to harrow the seed into the 

 ground. I believe the clover and alfalfa seed should be covered up 

 just as much as garden seed should, and we consider on our place 

 that this is one of the vital points in getting a good stand of clover. 



A Member: Do you sow timothy with the wheat in the Fall? 



MR. MARTIN; Yes, sir; two quarts per acre at wheat seeding 

 time. 



A Member: Do you disturb the timothy? 



MR. MARTIN: Yes; harrowing in the clover and alfalfa seed 

 does dig it out some but if a clover or alfalfa plant takes its place 

 I am delighted. 



These alfalfa roots (holding up roots) show Avhat alfalfa is doing 

 on our farm. These roots have been carried around in my grip for 

 several weeks and while they are broken off at about two and a half 

 feet still they show what they have done. They are larger than the 

 red clover roots and go deeper in the soil as this small one shows. 

 It is four and one-half feet long now and has probably gone down 

 into the sub-soil two feet further than its present length, judging by 

 the size of the root where it is broken off. Now such roots will give 

 us some hay. Understand the alfalfa seed is mixed in with the clover 

 and sown in the Spring and harrowed in, and wheat harvested in 

 July and in August the wheat stubble is clipped and next year the 

 first crop of hay is cut. We try to get the hay in the barn by the 

 25th of June, though sometimes it is the 4th of July; but by the 

 25th of June we like to get it in because it is better food, more nutri- 

 tion in it. By early cutting you will not get as large a crop, as much 

 in weight ; but the second crop will come on at once and there you will 

 gain. The second crop is cut about the 1st of August and the hay 

 brought in and not left on the soil. The third crop is cut about the 

 middle of September and left on the ground. We prefer to cut it be- 

 cause the next crop comes on and by cutting it you destroy the weeds 

 and it gets back to the soil where it is in shape for plant food material 

 quicker than otherwise. 



