294 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



The folloAvlnc; s(;ik'iiu*ii(s arc bnscd on dal;i scnircd In ilic »l('|>;n-(- 

 ment from various sources. There seems to be no advantage in harrow- 

 ing alfalfa the first two or three years after seeding, in fact thei-e are 

 many old fields that have never been cultivated which are producing 

 abundantly and are. in an ideal condition. The harrowing of old stands 

 that are inclined to be thin may, however, be advantageous because •.>! 

 the destruction of weeds, the aeration of the soil and the creation 

 of a soil mulch to conserve the moisture. Some writers have recom- 

 mended discing on account of splitting the crowns of the alfalfa, but 

 a careful examination of disced fields fails to reveal any appreciable 

 percentage of split crowns. Fields in which Kentucky blue grass is 

 well established will not be put in a clean condition by cultivation 

 but harrowing will be of considerable benefit in postponing the grassy 

 condition, if done when the grass is just starting in small bunches 

 over the field. The cultivation after seeding then will not take the 

 place of thorough preparation of the seed bed, but will, in many cases 

 at least, result in a larger production and prolong the life of the stand. 

 Tlie proper time to harrow is early in the spring before the new growth 

 starts or immediately after one of the cuttings. The spring tooth har- 

 row is one of the best implements for harrowing alfalfa as it may be 

 used to make a deep mulch and will disturb the alfalfa plants but 

 little. The disc harrow is also a satisfactory implement for this pur- 

 pose but should be set rather straight and weighted to make it dig 

 properly. An old stand may be harrowed several times, so that the 

 field will have an appearance of a newly prepared seed bed with 

 good results, but the harrowing should all be done at once as nearly as 

 possible and within a few days after cutting. 



FUNGOUS DISEASES AND INSECT PESTS. 



There are a large number of fungous diseases and insects which work 

 on alfalfa but no attempt will be made in this bulletin to describe and 

 give methods of treatment for all of these. The alfalfa leaf spot and 

 the grasshoppers are mentioned, as these are subjects upon which al- 

 falfa growers frequently request information. 



The leaf spot or Pseudope.ziza inedicaginis (Lib) Sacc, is a fungous 

 disease which is very common wherever alfalfa is grown. It may de- 

 velop under all conditions of soil, season and weather and is present at 

 least to a limited extent in practically all alfalfa field?. It shows the 

 most marked development in moist weather, in the second or third 

 cutting rather than the first, in the older growth more than in the new 

 shoots and in new seedings in which the growth is stunted on account 

 of some unfavorable conditions rather than in the older stands which 

 are making a rai)id growth. This disease is characterized by small, 

 brown spots about the size of a pin head which appear on both sides of 

 the leaf and along the stems but are more conspicuous on the upper 

 surfaces. The lower leaves are the first to be attacked. Usually the 

 leaves turn yellow and after a few days begin to fall off. 



While this disease is a very common one, it is not considered very 

 serious; it may reduce the yield of a, certain cutting but does not 

 usually destroy the stand. Little is known as to the method by which 

 the disease is carried from one field to another and no practical 



