482 Reading-Course for Farmers. 



Manure. Alfalfa is a heavy yielding crop and requires a rich soil 

 for best results. This is particularly true in the beginning. The 

 manured plots have been best in most cases. In many cases manure 

 has been absolutely necessary for success. Unless the land is rich enough 

 to produce a large corn crop without manure, it should be manured for 

 Alfalfa. Seventy per cent of the co-operative tests have shown manure 

 to be essential. 



If the land and the manure are not comparatively free from weed 

 seed, the manure should be applied to a preceding tilled crop, such as 

 corn or potatoes. Or better, apply it the year of seeding and carry 

 on a summer fallow until the weeds are subdued, before sowing the 

 Alfalfa. 



In seeding some of the very sandy lands, it is usually desirable to apply 

 a light dressing of manure that is free from weed seed just after seeding. 

 This will protect the young plants from drouth and from the sun. 



Weeds. Weeds are one of the most serious enemies of young Alfalfa. 

 If a well tilled crop precedes Alfalfa the injury is likely to be less. A 

 nurse crop keeps down weeds, but may be as hard on the Alfalfa as the 

 weeds are. The nurse crop of small grain has one advantage, it dies 

 when it is cut, while the weeds are not killed by cutting. The sure 

 way to avoid weeds is to seed late after a summer fallow. Of thirty- 

 seven trials of seeding before June 20th, seventeen were badly injured 

 by weeds. Of seventeen trials of seeding after June 20th only three 

 were injured by weeds. 



Time to Sow. There are successful fields of Alfalfa that have been 

 secured in all kinds of ways, but there arc two ways that seem to be 

 giving the largest proportion of successes. 



The surest way to secure Alfalfa is to apply manure and i)low in the 

 spring, then harrow the land and keep the weeds down until they are 

 subdued. After this is accomplished sow the Alfalfa at some time when 

 the seed bed and moisture conditions are favorable. It may be sown 

 from the last of June to the first of August. Sometimes it is sown after 

 early potatoes with success. It is very doubtful if it should e\-er be 

 sown alone in New York before the last of June. 



If Alfalfa is sown in the spring it is best to seed it with barley, using 

 only about one bushel of barley per acre. The barley should be cut 

 for hay before it matures. Barley is better than oats because it shades 

 the ground less. 



Those who are growing Alfalfa successfully may keep on with present 

 methods, but a l)eginner will do well to follow one of the methods out- 

 lined above, preferably the former. 



