IOWA DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE 



Fig-. 29. — The hay tedder sometimes hastens the curing- of the hay by 

 lifting it from the ground so that the air gets through. It must be used 

 before the leaves have begun to dry. Some follow the movirer at once 

 with the tedder, in some cases going over the field three times, but stopping 

 as soon as the leaves begin to break. 



June. Because few alfalfa growers mention such a difficulty, we are 

 led to believe that this objection has been over-emphasized. Even though 

 an occasional cutting may be badly bleached and washed with rain in 

 curing, it is still of greater feeding value and more palatable than any 

 other feed on most Iowa farms. 



To learn the actual experience of men who handle large acreages, in- 

 quiry was made of a number who had not expressed themselves upon this 

 phase of the subject. The findings of this inquiry may be presented as 

 follows: 



Source of Information; County and Correspondent 



Woodbury County F. A. S. 



Cherokee County A. T. Z. 



Plymouth County W. B. 



Woodbury County W. S. A. S. 



Plymouth County G. W. W. 



1. Question: How long have you grown alfalfa? 



Answer: "Fourteen years." "Seven years." "Ten years." "Fifteen 

 years." "Three years." 



2. Question: How long do you leave fields in alfalfa? 



Answer: "As long as it does well." "Pour years." "Permanently." 

 "Five to seven years." 



3. Question: Your present acreage in alfalfa? 



Answer: "Fifty acres." "Twenty-one acres." "Twelve to fifteen 

 acres." "One hundred and ten acres." "Sixty acres." 



4. Question: Your greatest acreage at one time? 



Answer: "Fifty acres." "Twenty-one acres." "Twelve to fifteen 

 acres." "One hundred and forty acres." "Ninety acres." 



