520 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



secured from below. This is not a difficult process. As soon as the early 

 potatoes can possibly be dug or the small grain harvested and removed 

 from the area the ground should be disked twice or more times if neces- 

 sary and then disked crosswise an equal number of times to form a thick 

 blanket of dust over the surface. This encourages capillary attraction, 

 or the bringing up of moisture from below, which process may well con- 

 tinue for several days. During the meantime 10 or 12 loads of well rotted 

 manure per acre should be distributed evenly over the surface. Even 

 though the ground is already rich the manure will have a tendency to 

 overcome the possible presence of acidity in the soil and give added 

 strength to the plants when they have started. 



It will now be possible to plow the ground and those who have never 

 experienced the plan of filling the soil with moisture through the process 

 of capillary attraction will be surprised how remarkably mellow the soil 

 will turn over. The depth is largely dependent upon the plow used. 

 From four to five inches will suffice, but if a deep plowing machine is 

 available turning the soil to a depth of 12 or 14 inches is more advisable, 

 providing the soil is sufficiently worked afterwards to assure firmness of 

 seed bed. 



It is well to follow the plow immediately with a roller to pulverize 

 the clods, but whether the roller is available or not, harrowing and disk- 

 ing with persistency should begin at once. There is no specific number 

 of times that the land should thus be worked. The seed bed must be like 

 a garden. It must be covered with a deep blanket of dust so that 

 through capillary attraction the moisture will continue to be drawn froicu 

 below that it may be available to germinate the seeds when it comes 

 time to sow them. The seed bed must be worked enough so that it will 

 be firm and insure rapid and vigorous root growth. 



The character of the season and the soil when preparations begin 

 will determine the amount of work necessary but suffice to say there is 

 more danger by far of under than over-working the soil. A firm, yet soft, 

 mellow, dusty seed bed should be secured by the middle of July or the 

 first of August. It may now remain in this condition until just before 

 seeding time, unless in the meantime it rains, in which case as soon 

 as permissible the ground should be harrowed thoroughly to regain 

 the dust mulch which the rain has destroyed. This tends not only to 

 retain the moisture which has fallen but continues to gain and retain 

 the moisture from below and kills all weeds that may have started to 

 grow. 



INOCULATION. 



Just prior to seeding, the soil should be furnished with bacteria of the 

 character that grow nodules on the roots of alfalfa which have the 

 power of taking from the air nitrogen to feed the growing plant. 



This is the step that so many good, hard-headed, practical farmers re- 

 fuse to take. It is the bugbear. It seems like book-farming, theory, 

 science, or, to put it in plainer terms, just foolishness, to bring dirt from 

 one place and distribute it over another. All right, if you don't care 

 to do this, buy turnip seed instead of alfalfa seed. The ground you have 



