Alfalfa. 483 



In no case do we expect returns from Alfalfa the first year. The 

 second method therefore gains nothing but the nurse crop. Statistics 

 gathered from the Ohio farmers on this point are interesting. Fifty-nine 

 reported that they had decided to change from seeding with a nurse crop 

 to seeding alone, while only seven were expecting to change from seeding 

 alone to seeding with a nurse crop. 



Fifty-seven had decided to continue to seed alone but to do so later 

 in the season. None who were seeding late were expecting to change 

 to early in the season. 



At the Ohio Station Alfalfa seeded on May 24th yielded 6600 pounds 

 per acre the next year, that seeded July 6th and August 3rd yielded 

 9500 pounds. 



The following Experiment Stations recommend seeding in late sum- 

 mer fnot early fall), the date depending on the latitude: N. J., Ohio, 

 Ala., Okla., Md., Mo., Ind., Cornell, Kan., N. C. Alfalfa thus seeded 

 usually does not need to be cut the first year. If the growth is likely to 

 be too heavy to allow on the land, it should be cut. If it needs to be cut 

 it should be cut early enough to allow for a protecting growth for winter. 

 A growth a foot high makes a good winter cover. If too much is left 

 it may smother the plants. Clipping when the Alfalfa is small is often 

 injurious. 



Hay Making. Alfalfa should be cut when about one-tenth of the 

 heads are in blossom. If allowed to stand longer the hay is poorer 

 and the succeeding cuttings are much decreased. It is usually cut 

 three times in New York (Bulletin 221). 



An Experiment Necessary. It is unwise to sow any large area of 

 Alfalfa without first learning how to grow it. This first trial should 

 include at least four plots for determining whether lime and inoculation 

 are necessary. All the plots should be manured or else more plots 

 should be added to test the effect of manure. 



Suppose that a man uses lime and manure and fails, he knows nothing 

 about whether he can grow Alfalfa or not. He might succeed if he 

 applied soil inoculation. If he uses soil and manure and fails he does 

 not know whether or not he would have succeeded if he had used 

 lime. 



Some man will say that he will apply lime, manure and inoculation 

 on all the area to be sure to succeed, but this does not answer the ques- 

 tion. Suppose he does this, he does not know but that he would have 

 done as well if he had left ofif one or more of the treatments. When he 

 comes to sow a larger area he will be applying unnecessary things at 

 considerable expense. 



