112 



ELEMENTS OF FARM PRACTICE 



the second growth starts which sometimes is before it blooms, 

 then raked as soon as it can be raked, and cured largely 

 in the windrow or small cock. This is to save the leaves 

 from drying up and shattering off, as the leaves are the 



I Figure 49. — Curing alfalfa hay under cock covers. 



richest and most valuable part of the hay. As alfalfa hay 

 is worth about $15 per ton for feed, it usually pays to use 

 cock covers in curing it to protect it from the rain and dew. 



Questions: 



1. In what way does alfalfa differ from medium red clover? 



2. What classes of stock will eat alfalfa hay? 



3. How would you prepare a field for alfalfa? 



4. What do you understand by inoculating soil for alfalfa? 

 Arithmetic: 



1. Fifteen pounds of alfalfa seed are required to seed an acre, 

 how much will the seed cost at 20c. per pound? 



2. If an acre of alfalfa produces 3 crops in one year, 1st crop 

 3,500 lbs., 2nd crop 3,000 lbs., and 3rd crop 2,500 lbs., how many tons 

 would be produced. 



3. If a ton of alfalfa hay is worth $10, how much would the 

 hay produced on the acre mentioned in Example No. 2 be worth? 



OTHER COMMON HAY AND PASTURE CROPS 



Timothy is the most common hay crop grown. It is 

 grown in every state in the Union. It is a perennial plant, 

 and will continue to produce hay or pasture year after 

 year without reseeding, unless the land is plowed up. It 

 may be grown alone or mixed with other grasses. A very 



