THIRTEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART XII 



685 



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.sa^ife 



Fig-. 20. — Showing growth of alfalfa on May 26, 1906. at the time of 

 the first cutting-. The fall seeded alfalfa nine months from seeding-, is 

 neai'ly as large as on the two-year-old fields. 



PREPARING THE SEED BED AND SEEDING 



To prepare for alfalfa seedings, the land should be disked and har- 

 rowed thoroughly immediately after plowing. Then work it every ten 

 days or two weeks, or at least after every rain until the seed is sown. 



Ten of Iowa's most successful alfalfa growers in reporting their meth- 

 ods, say: "It is absolutely necessary to work the ground well previous 

 to sowing," in order to conserve moisture and get rid of weed seed. It 

 is necessary to disk and harrow, as one said, "until you are weary." 



When August seeding is practiced this cultivation should begin as soon 

 as the preceding crop is removed. In case that no crop is sown in the 

 spring, the land should be worked well throughout the entire summer. 

 The necessity of thoroughness in this preparation cannot be over-em- 

 phasized. Unless the land is prepared early in the summer and then a 

 good mulch maintained, there will be great danger of a lack of moisture 

 to insure germination. Then again, alfalfa will not fight weeds, and un- 

 less the soil is stirred often, in this way bringing the weed seeds to the 

 surface and germinating them before the alfalfa crop is put in, difficulty 

 and possible failure will result. Further, while the surface soil should 

 be very well fined and loose, the sub-surface should be rather compact. 

 Late and insufficient preparation means a loose seed bed with more dry- 

 ing out, and then in the v/inter great danger from heaving, with the 

 loss of the whole crop as a result. 



MANNER AND THE TIME OF SEEDING 



The alfalfa seed should by all means be drilled in when possible, and 

 should be placed from i/o to li/^ inches below the surface, depending upon 



