EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 



595 



A iiiwly turiuHl alfalfa sod— hard breaking but a good foundation for a big corn en. p. 



ALFALFA I-X KOTATION. 



Alfalfa is not likely to supplant red clover and alsike, or clover and 

 timothy mixtures, in ]Micln<,MU rotations l»ut v^•i]l strongly reinforce Ihese 

 crops. As a general rule, alfalfa is seeded with the intention of allowin«j: 

 it to remain for from four to six years, or as long as it will produce 

 hay successfully. Often only portions of ^Michigan farms are adapted 

 to its profitable culture, and the expense of draining and liming is fre- 

 quently considered too gi'oat to apply to more than a (•oni])ara1iv(dy small 

 area at one time. Owing to these facts, alfalfa should be considered a 

 crop to grow in connection with the ordinary clover rotation, which 

 usually occupies the greater area of the farm. After from four to six 

 years alfalfa is usuallv sod-bound, and after a year of pasture is turned 

 under to be followed by corn and other cultivated crops. The growing of 

 alfalfa for a period of years j)uts laml in excellent conditi<Mi for crojjs 

 of corn, beans, or potatoes, and after these crops alfalfa may be again 

 seeded either alone or with small grain as a companion crop. It is possi- 

 ble to divide that ]iortion of the farm suited to alfalfa into a ]»ro])ei' 

 number of fields for the alfalfa rotation, or the alfalfa may be followed 

 by four or five years of crops grown in an ordinary clover rotation. 

 Common weeds give little troulde after alfalfa is once established, owing 

 to the frequent cuttings. Seeding land infested with ('miada thistles, 

 to alfalfa, is an excellent way to get rid of this ])est. .Fune grass and 

 quack grass, however, are the great enemies of alfalfa, and unless land is 

 fairly free of these grasses, will greatly shorten the period of profitalde 

 production of the alfalfa field. 



Additional Michigan I^lxperiment Statif)n Publications of interest to 

 alfalfa growers. — 



Bui. No. 271— Alfalfa Growing in Michigan, 101.3. 



Popular Bui. No. 284— Phosphorus on Michigan Soils. 1019. 



Exp. Sta. Bui. No, 01 — Information on Lime and Its Use and rune 

 tion in Soils^ 1918. 



