40 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



at St. Louis victories no less brilliant than those they have already 

 achieved in the fields of war, diplomacy and statesmanship. 



The President: The next subject will Ijc ''Alfalfa," by H. 

 M. Cottrell, of Odebolt. 



ALFALFA IN IOWA. 



H. M. CottrelL OclehoU, loiva. 



Your speaker has spent twenty-one years in Kansas, nine years of 

 the time with the Experiment Station, and had the opportunity to study 

 the habits and requirements of alfalfa during all the time. He has 

 spent the last eight months only in Iowa, and his recommendations in 

 regard to alfalfa for Iowa must be taken as being based on observations 

 during this short period, coupled with a long experience under other 

 conditions of climate. 



The conditions demanded by alfalfa are a perfect seed bed. fertile 

 soil and freedom from weeds at time of seeding and good drainage. It 

 is probable that alfalfa will do best in Iowa on the naturally well 

 drained fields, and when the land is sufficiently rolling to afford good 

 drainage may be expected to do well under proper treatment. Alfalfa 

 needs a good supply of lime and is short-lived in sandy soils. It is 

 probable that alfalfa will do well on many level lands where tile drain- 

 age has put the land in good shape. Alfalfa will not grow with wet 

 feet, and the land must be well drained either naturally or artificially. 

 On close soils alfalfa sometimes kills out in low places, and small de- 

 pressions where water stands. Rolling, well-drained lands, such as 

 are found in Sac and Ida counties, give every indication of being well 

 adapted to alfalfa. 



CROPS TO R.A.ISE BEFORE SEEDIXG TO ALFALFA. 



With land that has been under cultivation for many years crops 

 must be grown that will free the land from weeds and put it in good 

 mechanical condition. Barley, oats and millet may be recommended for 

 Iowa, followed by fall plowing thoroughly done. 



The best crop to raise on land before seeding to alfalfa is some 

 legume like clover, Canada field peas, soy beans or cow peas. The 

 legumes have the double value of putting the land in good mechanical 

 condition and of adding nitrogen and vegetable matter to the soil in 

 the form needed by the young alfalfa plants. 



Red clover is a good plant to grow before seeding to alfalfa on soils 

 that have a subsoil which holds water and prevents good drainage. 

 Red clover is much more vigorous than young alfalfa and will grow 

 down, into bad subsoils under conditions that will kill young alfalfa. 

 After the red clover has stood for two years and has penetrated the sub- 

 soil to a good depth the ground can be prepared and seeded to alfalfa. 

 The decaying clover roots will keep the subsoil open and well drained 



