64 Report of the Chemist of the 



portance to secure a dense and uniform stand, especially if liay 

 is to be made. If crops of seed only are desired a more scat- 

 tering stand of plants may give good results. The seed should 

 be sown in the spring, after danger of severe frost is past, and 

 when the ground would be considered in the best possible con- 

 dition for planting garden seeds. The treatment of the soil 

 for the preceding season should have been such as to have most 

 effectually subdued all weeds, and caused the sprouting and de- 

 struction of any seeds in the ground. The seed should not he 

 sown with grain, hut alone; although a good catch is sometimes 

 reported when sown with oats — only about half the usual quan- 

 tity of grain being used. If sown with grain the young plants 

 are likely to be killed by the sun after the grain is cut. It is 

 best to sow not less than thirty pounds of seed per acre — especi- 

 ally when sown broadcast. When sown with the drill twenty 

 pounds often give good results. In short, to guard against the 

 decidedly unsatisfactory result of a poor stand, plenty of seed 

 should be used on carefully prepared ground. 



" Pure seed is essential. Only plump, bright, good seed should 

 be sown, for shrunken seed may produce weak and worthless 

 plants. The seed resembles that of red clover but is larger. 

 Too many small seeds would indicate the possible admixture of 

 white clover, etc. The presence of the seed of narrow-leaf- 

 plantain or rib-grass is of vital importance to guard against. 

 This is a long brownish seed something like a diminutive date 

 seed and is easily detected without the aid of a glass by anyone 

 familiar with it. 



" In order to check the growth of weeds a mowing machine 

 can be run over the field of young alfalfa with the cutting bar 

 raised so as to avoid cutting near the crowns of the young 

 plants. If the clipping is not too heavy it can, with advan- 

 tage, be left on the field, and will serve as a mulch during the 

 dry weather. On rich soil sometimes two crops can be secured 

 the first year, but on poor soil or in a dry season no crop can 

 be expected the first year. Alfalfa should be cut every time 

 it begins to blossom, whether the growth is short or tall, unless 

 a seed crop is desired. The second crop of the season is better 



