504 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



seed should be covered with only a thin layer of soil unless it is sandy, 

 when deeper seeding is necessary. The uniform depth of seeding, which is 

 so essential, cannot be obtained if the ground is more or less rigid. When 

 the spouts from the grain seeder attachment conduct the seed into the 

 shoes, too deep covering is apt to be had on heavy soils. When drilled 

 soil may be washed on the grain, even if it is placed at the proper depth. 

 Alfalfa can be, and is, often sown broadcast and then harrowed. When 

 broadcasted, heavier seeding is necessary and care must be exercised to 

 harrow at once. Just at the time when the young plumule is pushing 

 its way through the surface, hot weather has a tendency to injure it. This 

 has also been reported under broadcast seeding, when rain prevented 

 harrowing them into the ground. The general practice among our best 

 farmers is to sow alfalfa without a nurse crop, although it may be deemed 

 advisable, whenever the soil is sandy, to use a light seeding of small 

 grain. The purpose of this is to prevent the sand from blowing. Four 

 pecks of barley or oats per acre will Tje sufficient, because a heavier rate 

 of seeding may grow so rank as to choke out the alfalfa. The grower 

 should watch the crop closely, and when in his opinion the alfalfa is suf- 

 fering, indicated by turning yellow, he should cut the crop at once. 



MANAGEMENT OF THE FIELD. 



Ordinarily no treatment is required the first year after seeding, be- 

 yond clipping the growth of weeds. It is sometimes a good practice to 

 harrow a newly seeded field after the plants have attained a height of 

 three or four inches, in order to loosen the surface and aerate the soil, 

 because young alfalfa plants are easily affected by a compact surface soil. 

 The loose covering of soil on the surface covers the capillary tubes, which 

 will "be instrumental in conserving soil moisture. When harrowing, the 

 levers should be set so that the teeth are inclined at quite an angle and 

 then weighted down so that it will penetrate the soil. Such treatment will 

 pull out some of the small weeds, cover up others, and will not pull out 

 many alfalfa plants because of their long tap root. 



When practicing clipping, judgment must be exercised so as not to set 

 the mower too close to the ground, because the plant should not be cut 

 off below the lowest branch. Early mowing is therefore better, because the 

 tips will then be removed, which will cause a branching of the plants and 

 a more vigorous growth. We must remember that the young growing 

 alfalfa plants require quite a top growth to balance the root development. 

 Too close mowing will disturb this "balance and many plants will die out- 

 right or be so decreased in vigor as to be unable to survive the summer. 

 Harrowing after clipping is beneficial, and recommended. The field 

 should be allowed to go into the winter with from eight to ten inches of 

 growth as protection. 



Cultivation is as beneficial to an alfalfa field as to a cultivated crop. 

 Continuous mowing and travel compacts the soil to such an extent as to 

 interfere with proper ventilation. Often it is necessary to drive and work 

 on the ground when it is not in fit condition, and this continued for a 

 few years has a very compacting effect on the soil. The disk harrow is 

 used very widely and recommended for cultivating after the first year. The 



