SIXTH ANNUAL TEAR BOOK — PART VIII. 801 



AN ALFALFA CATECHISM. 



F. M. Kopping, Pottawattamie County, in Wallace's Farmer. 



Below I will give as briefly as possible my experience in alfalfa grow- 

 ing, and if you djeem it worthy a place in your valuable journal you are 

 at liberty to publish it. I will put it in the shape of questions and 

 answers, as follows: 



Q. What kind of soil or land will raise alfalfa? 



A. Most any land, provided it is not too low and wet. which has been 

 well tilled and is apparently free from weeds. 



Q. How should the ground be prepared? 



A. If corn was grown on the land the preceding year the stalks should 

 be thoroughly broken, raked, and burned. Then take the disk and pul- 

 verize the ground, then harrow, doing the latter about once a week until 

 ready to sow your seed. If fall plowed land is intended for the seeding 

 the same course may be followed. 



Q. Why would it not be better to plow cornstalk ground instead of 

 disking? 



A. Because by so doing the soil would not be so firm underneath nor 

 perhaps quite so fine and mellow on top. I have tried both ways at differ- 

 ent times, and disking has always given me the best results. 



Q. When should alfalfa be sown? 



A. Any time from the 20th of April to the first of June; about the 

 middle of May would perhaps be the best time. 



Q. How^ much seed should be sown per acre? 



A. On well prepared ground twelve to fifteen pounds is sufficient. I 

 have never sown more than twelve pounds, and have always secured a 

 good stand. Of course, the above applies to first-class seed only; no other 

 should be used. 



Q. Should the seed be sown alone or with a nurse crop? 



A. I would advise sowing with a nurse crop, say a bushel and a half 

 of oats per acre. Then pasture in the following manner: Let the oats or 

 whatever you may sow for a nurse crop grow up about eight inches, then 

 turn your cattle on — sheep would be better — for three or four hours 

 each day or as often as is necessary to keep the cover crop in check. By 

 all means keep stock off of alfalfa in wet weather, for they will tramp the 

 ground up and killed tiny plants. 



Q. How long should pasturing be continued? 



A. This depends somewhat on the season. However, I would not 

 advise to continue later than August 10th. In a dry season the first of 

 August would be better. 



Q. Should the growth from that time on be loft on the ground or a 

 crop of hay taken off? 



A. By all means leave it stand on the ground, as good covering for 

 winter protection, is of vital importance, especially the first year. In an 

 experiment which I conducted I found that the plot with good winter pro- 

 tection gave a far heavier yield the following year than the plot where a 



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