THE SOWING OF ALFALFA 227 



a rule, then, plow for alfalfa as deep as you can, no 

 matter how much raw, fresh earth you turn up. It is 

 wise to leave strips for testing the result with ordinary 

 plowing. 



Seedbed for Alfalfa. The plowing should be done 

 some time before seeding time where this is convenient. 

 It is necessary for it to be in some manner settled to- 

 gether. When seeding must follow plowing at short 

 intervals, one can use the disk and other harrows freely 

 to bring the earth firmly together again. A fine, firm 

 seedbed is needed, made smooth enough so that one can 

 seed to a uniform depth. If the alfalfa is to be irrigated 

 the land must be carefully leveled also, so that the water 

 may be led over it at no place too deep, yet all be covered. 



Quantity of Seed to Sow. Alfalfa seed of good qual- 

 ity commonly germinates well. When sown broadcast 

 and covered with the drill or harrow if the seedbed is 

 good 15 pounds of seed will give a thick stand. When 

 the seed is drilled with special alfalfa drills so that each 

 seed has proper depth of planting, 5 pounds or less gives 

 a thick stand. Ordinarily as sown on rough ground 

 and given unequal covering it is advisable to sow 20 

 pounds to the acre. The Ohio station secured the same 

 yields from 5 and 25 pounds. The practice with us is 

 to sow from 15 to 20 pounds. It does no harm to have 

 a stand slightly too thick. Nature thins it soon enough. 

 To sow 30 pounds to the acre seems sheer waste. 



Nurse-Crop for Alfalfa. With spring seeding east of 

 the Missouri River a nurse-crop seems desirable. One 

 gains the hay made from the nurse-crop and ordinarily 

 does no injury to the stand. The nurse-crop in a measure 



