208 ALFALFA FARMING IN AMERICA. 



Go immediately over the land with an efficient har- 

 row, trying to* cover the seed one inch deep. It 

 is no harm to apply more fertilizer at the time of 

 sowing this seed. It will only push the young plants 

 the more rapidly forward. 



In Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois and other 

 states of like climates this seeding should be done 

 in late July or early August. It is essential to get 

 the plants strongly rooted before winter sets in 

 with its frosts and cold. The stronger the root the 

 less liability to winter killing. 



Subsequent Treatment. No clipping, no pastur- 

 ing nor any other treatment should be given the 

 alfalfa this season. Simply let it alone and keep 

 all animals out of it. The only thing that might 

 cause a man to meddle with it would be if he should 

 discover some dodder in the field. This should be 

 destroyed as soon as seen. Pull up the infected 

 plants and burn them. Throw down a little straw 

 on the spot where the dodder has appeared and set 

 it on fire. Dodder is worse than fire to alfalfa. No 

 other weeds will be apt to trouble. If any large, 

 coarse weeds should come up they may be pulled 

 up by hand. 



There is hardly any better way of starting alfalfa 

 than this if a man has a liking for potatoes. The 

 crop usually pays well for use of the land, and the 

 alfalfa crop comes on strong and is secured at 

 the least possible expense. 



Summary. Summarizing the process of sowing 

 alfalfa after potatoes, the essentials are, first, selec- 



