12 AGRICULTURAL OBSERVATIONS ON TRUCKEE-CARSON PROJECT, 



in order to give the alfalfa a chance to make a good growth before 

 cold weather sets in. 



Onh' the purest alfalfa seed should be sown. Much alfalfa seed 

 has been soAvn in the vicinit}^ of Fallon that contains dodder and 

 sweet clover. Both of these are highh^ undesirable weeds in an 

 alfalfa field. The dodder especiall}' is hard to get rid of. Before 

 purchasing seed the farmer should test its germinating power. This 

 can be done by putting some of the seed between two la^^ers of moist 

 cloth in a covered dish, which is kept for two or three da^'S in a 

 moderateh^ warm room. If there is any doubt as to whether or not 

 the alfalfa seed contains dodder, a sample may be sent to the experi- 

 ment farm for examination. 



In breaking an alfalfa sod to use the land for another crop, the 

 alfalfa should be " crowned '' — that is, the land plowed to a depth 

 of 2 or 3 inches with a plow having a sharp share. After " crown- 

 inff " the field should lie without irrigation for six Sveeks or more, 

 when it may be plowed deep and put into crop without serious 

 trouble. If an alfalfa field is plowed deep the first time, the crowns 

 have sufficient roots still attached to them to permit the development 

 of new shoots and it is very hard to keep these reestablished plants 

 in subjection. 



On the Truckee-Carson project three cuttings of alfalfa are ob- 

 tained each year and the average yield is probably about 4 tons per 

 acre. To secure the maximum yield the alfalfa should be cut before 

 the new basal shoots (that appear soon after the alfalfa begins blos- 

 soming) are high enough to be cut by the mower. To cut off these 

 basal shoots retards the neAv growth. Alfalfa may be safely pastured 

 in the fall after the third cutting, provided care is taken to see that 

 it is not cropped too closely. 



At the present time alfalfa is grown for hay production almost to 

 the exclusion of every other forage crop. To replace alfalfa any 

 other crop must possess some point of superiority, either in the yield 

 or in the quality of forage produced. Such a crop has not yet been 

 found for this region. 



GRAIN HAY. 



Grain hay is an excellent crop in connection Avith alfalfa when the 

 latter is first seeded. The grain protects the young alfalfa from the 

 winds and to some extent prevents the crusting of the soil. A small 

 early crop of hay is produced that may prove very acceptable to the 

 farmer wlio has as yet no well-established field of alfalfa. 



■ PEARL TMILLET AND SORGIirM. 



Pearl millet and sorghum produce about the same yield per acre as 

 alfalfa, but they are more expensive to raise and the quality of the 

 forage is not so good. Sorghum, however, may be seeded on new 



[Cir. 78] 



