14 SUGGESTIONS TO SETTLERS IN COLUMBIA EIVER VALLEY. 



the soil to a much greater depth than can be secured by the apphca- 

 tion of barnyard manure. Being a leguminous plant, alfalfa is 

 capable of using atmospheric nitrogen. By growing alfalfa the soil 

 is enriched with i^itrogen at less expense than by the application of 

 commercial fertilizers. When the hay is fed to dairy cows, the 

 farmer will be able, with the manure from the stables, to fertilize small 

 areas of land at a time, upon wdiich he can grow almost any crop he 

 may desire. 



When a good stand of alfalfa is well cared for it is very successful. 

 It can be cut three or four times each year, and the annual yield 

 of hay varies from 5 to 8 tons per acre. When successfully seeded in 

 the fall of the year, from 2 to 5 tons of hay to the acre may be expected 

 the following season. The productiveness of the soil will be built up 

 more rapidly if the hay is fed to good dairy cows than if it is sold, for 

 from 75 to 90 per cent of the fertilizing substance of the hay will be 

 contained in the manure. While cows will not give the maximum 

 amount of milk wdien fed alfalfa hay exclusively, this is usually a 

 more profitable practice than to pay $25 to $30 a ton for grain and 

 mill feed with which to balance the ration. The cows should be 

 fed in stables and lots during the entire year, for the land is too valu- 

 able to be used for pasture. No cow should be kept that will not pro- 

 duce 600 gallons of milk yearly. 



Unless a farmer has plenty of manure with which to enrich the 

 soil, all of his land should be sown to alfalfa or clover just as soon as it 

 is ready for seeding. No attempt should be made to grow other crops 

 until the land has successfully grow^n alfalfa, clover, or some other 

 humus-producing crop for one or more years or until stable manure 

 can be obtained. When available, manure should be applied liberally 

 and well incorporated into the soil. A light application on the 

 surface of the ground is of little benefit except to keep the soil from 

 drifting. Irrigation should be frequent enough to keep the soil moist, 

 so that the manure will decay. 



THE COMMERCIAL ORCHARD. 



To plant and care for an orchard until it is bearing profitably 

 requires several years and much labor and money. For this reason, 

 deciding the kind of fruit to be grown (whether apples, pears, peaches, 

 apricots, or cherries) becomes a very important matter. Having 

 decided the kind of fruit to be planted, the selection of varieties is 

 likewise very important. This should be done with a great deal of 

 care and study. The man with limited means can not afford to 

 experiment with new varieties, however superior they may be repre- 

 sented to be. Instead, he should plant the standard commercial 

 varieties that have given the best satisfaction in the Columbia River 

 Valley. Opinions have differed widely regarding this matter in tlie 



[Cir. 60] 



