498 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



"We have two seasons in which to sow it, the fall and the spring. 

 The success of either depends somewhat on the season. "We have found 

 the fall the best; though have experimented with each. With the spring 

 seeding you may have to mow it several times to keep the weeds down and 

 get no crop of hay, but if conditions are favorable you may get a crop or 

 two of hay. While with the fall seeding you have no bother and the 

 alfalfa starts ahead of the grass and weeds the next spring and keeps 

 ahead, three good crops can be cut, giving good returns. Besides you 

 haven't lost a crop, having harvested wheat, oats or rye off the ground. 



In preparation of the seed bed for spring seeding, the ground should be 

 plowed medium depth, but still better if plowed deep the fall before. For 

 fall seeding the ground should "be plowed if in good condition but if too 

 dry just be disced thoroughly, about two or three good double discings 

 making the best possible seed-bed. 



Having the seed-lsed well prepared we are ready for the sowing, and 

 the first thing to sow is inoculated dirt; which looks like a rather skeptic 

 thing to sow; but when we see the value of it we are soon convinced of 

 its value in alfalfa growing, for it contains the bacteria germs, which are 

 essential in aiding the plant to make use of its chief element, nitrogen, 

 as a plant food. These bacteria germs or nodules grow on the alfalfa 

 roots from one to six inches deep and are about the size of the head of a 

 pin. Sweet clover bacteria gives the same results. 



In getting this dirt, dig it from some old alfalfa field at least a year 

 old, or sweet clover patch; as it takes from 100 to 200 lbs. per acre. Use 

 a wagon; get the dirt as dry as possible, and you can sow it the old-fash- 

 ioned way of sowing oats out of the back end of a wagon, and better, 

 shovel it into a box or a basket set in the rear end of a wagon as it will 

 not harden so quickly. It takes two, one to drive, and one to sow; about 

 twenty feet can be sowed at a throw. You can get over a good deal of 

 ground in a short time. Now Avhen enough alfalfa has "been grown, the 

 soil will all become inoculated through natural agents, as wind and water. 



If you cannot get your seed near home you had better send north for it, 

 as the northern grown seed is the strongest, having more vitality for 

 this locality. If you get the best seed 15 to 18 lbs. per acre is plenty, and 

 get it sowed as evenly as possi'ble. If sowing with a broadcast seeder better 

 go over the ground two or three times so as to get it on as evenly as pos- 

 sible. After it is all sowed and harrowed in you have nothing to do but 

 to tell your neighbors about it and watch it grow. Next spring before 

 any other plant has started, your alfalfa will be green and growing and 

 before you know it you will have a crop of hay, about the first of June. 



The time to cut the alfalfa is when about 10 per cent is in hloom, or 

 when the next crop beginning to start at the root. When you have mowed 

 it cure it about half in the swath, then rake it into the windrow for the 

 balance of the curing, as the leaves do not drop off so badly. Alfalfa will 

 stand more rain than clover hay without hurting. The first crop 

 comes about the first of June, the second the middle of July, and the third 

 the last of August. And mayt)e the fourth will grow up a foot or two, but 

 better leave it or pasture it some as to protect the ground through the 

 winter. Now the following year after fall seeding off of three cuttings you 



