No. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 435 



Time of Seeding. 



The time of seeding for the Eastern States, as already pointed out, 

 has been found to be the early fall, preferably from the middle to the 

 end of August, depending upon the location. The advantages of fall 

 seeding are, first, that should conditions be unfavorable, and a catch 

 not secured, the farmer does not suffer the loss of his land — another 

 crop can be seeded in spring — whereas, if seeded in spring, and con- 

 ditions are unfavorable (as they usually are in our Middle States, more 

 particularly in their Eastern portions), the loss of land ensues, as or- 

 dinarily the farmer hopes that the crop may be successful and con- 

 tinues it throughout the season, thus losing the entire use of the land. 

 If seeded at this time, on well prepared and well fertilized land, i1 

 should make a growth in the fall of to 10 inches, which will have 

 sufficiently rooted to prevent its being heaved out by the frost, a con- 

 dition not ordinarily dangerous, except where lands have not been 

 well prepared, or are insufficiently limed or fertilized. 



All our experiments, and the experience of growers in our State, 

 unite in recommending that alfalfa should be seeded alone. A nurse- 

 crop of oats or barley, which is recommended by many growers, par- 

 ticularly in the west and north, where seedings are more often made 

 in spring, seems in the east to be a detriment ; the power of the cereal 

 to gather food and moisture being relatively greater than for alfalfa, 

 results in the destruction of the young and less vigorous alfalfa plants, 

 and those that survive are destroyed if the nurse crop is not removed 

 ecirly enough and hot, dry weather follows. 



Period of Cropping. 



The period during which alfalfa may yield a profitable crop, will 

 depend upon a number of conditions, one of the chief of which is the 

 handling of the crop during its cutting season. That is, the crop 

 should bo cut when at the best stage for forage, and not allowed to 

 mature too far, as the matured crop usually reduces to some extent 

 the vitality of the plant and consequently shortens the period during 

 which it may be profitably grown. 



Our experience shows that upon good soils, the crop will last from 

 four to seven years — on lighter soils from three to five years, and 

 possibly three years on light, sandy soils would be a better length of 

 time than any longer period. 



Wing recommends that the crop be cut as soon as the new buds 

 appear on the stems near the ground. This suggestion was not made 

 until recently, and our guide previous to this recommendation was 

 the appearance of the blossoms, the crops being cut when about one- 

 third to one-half of the x)Iants were in bloom. The character of the 

 season will influence to some extent this blossoming, as well as the 

 appearance of buds, and it requires careful observation on the part 

 of the grower that it be harvested at just the right time, a factor which 

 affects both the quality of the hay and the period of profitable crop- 

 ping. The period of growth also influences to a considerable extent 

 the quality of the hay — if allowed to mature too far, the stems be- 

 come too hard and woody, aro not palatnltle, and hay is not entirely 

 consumed. Besides, there is danger of loss of leaves, if allowed to 

 stand until those on lower portions of the plant turn yellow. 



