TENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK—PART X 501 



Only second to well drained soil should be one which is free from weeds. 

 This can hardly be over emphasized, because many a field has been ruined 

 by an early influx of weeds. The choosing of a field should have this in 

 view, because more intensive cultivation can help to this end. 



Unsubdued sod or any soils which have not yet been brought into good 

 tilth should not be seeded to alfalfa. 



PKEPARATIOX OF THE SEED BED. 



The grower who has his crop of alfalfa well started is more than half 

 way on the road to success. While the selection of the field bears such 

 an important part in successful alfalfa culture, the preparation of the 

 seed bed is only of secondary importance. The successful farmer plans 

 months, even years, ahead, in getting his field into shape for this crop; 

 for the crop is to remain from five to ten years, so he cannot well afford 

 to neglect any of the initiatory details. Money and time spent in the 

 preparation of the seed bed, instead of in the purchase of a larger quantity 

 of seed, will insure better stands, and this would be instrumental in ex- 

 tending the crop in this state. 



This phase of alfalfa growing has been discussed much, yet it seems to 

 be not entirely understood by the average farmer. Until we are made to 

 fully realize and appreciate the need of a good seed bed we will be in- 

 different and put the seed into poorly prepared ground. The field should 

 have been plowed long enough to enable the soil to be worked down and 

 settle and fill with water. A loose, open, porous soil may be all right for 

 potatoes, root crops or corn, which contain a large amount of food in the 

 seed and which comes in contact with it, but is entirely unfit for alfalfa 

 seed. He who sows his seed on freshly plowed ground with slight pulver- 

 ization, can hope for nothing but failure in securing a stand. The first 

 consideration in handling a field should be to get rid of the weeds. Noth- 

 ing will be of greater service in this respect than to begin early and per- 

 sist in combatting them before the crop is sown. 



The first choice of a previous crop is a well cultivated potato field. This 

 puts the soil in good condition by conserving moisture and making the 

 soil mellow. Weed and grass seeds are made to germinate and are then 

 killed. Second to a potato field comes one which has been cropped to 

 field peas. The peas should be seeded thickly enough to smother most of 

 the weeds, and then after the crop is harvested the field should be plowed 

 from five to six inches deep. Then leave the field in this uneven plowed 

 condition during the winter until early spring. As soon as the soil is dry 

 enough to work, disc well and harrow. This hastens the physical improve- 

 ment, compacts the soil, loosens the surface to prevent evaporation, and 

 induces the soil to warm up more rapidly, thus starting the germination 

 of grass and weed seeds. If the ground becomes weedy, the disking and 

 harrowing should be continued as often as required to kill them, because 

 they are easily kept in check while young. This treatment should be con- 

 tinued until seeding time. 



