458 ALFALFA FARMING IN AMERICA. 



moist seed bed necessary for the growth of alfalfa furnishes ideal 

 conditions for the rapid development of weeds. Several cultiva- 

 tions are necessary to hold even those of the first season in 

 check. A 2-row cultivator provided with narrow shovels is the 

 most practicable machine for this work. Fenders, or, better, a 

 box sled, should be provided to avoid the danger of covering up 

 the young alfalfa plants, and care should be taken to ridge up the 

 rows as little as possible, as this will interfere with mowing op- 

 erations. After the stand has become firmly established ridging 

 can be readily corrected by cross-harrowing. Mr. Bartholomew 

 has devised a harrow of adjustable width which is very useful 

 both in controlling weeds and keeping up the necessary surface 

 mulch. 



The stand may be much thicker during the first season than in 

 subsequent seasons. Some of the plants will be destroyed by cul- 

 tivation, and the less drought resistant and less hardy plants 

 will be killed by the dryness of the summer and the cold of the first 

 winter. Unless plants are so thick as to crowd one another no 

 thinning should be done by cross-harrowing while the plants are 

 still small. 



Experiments in eastern Colorado, eastern Washington and Cali- 

 fornia indicate that under very dry conditions the plants should 

 not be clipped the first season if they are to make their greatest 

 individual development. On the other hand, in the Willamette 

 Valley of Oregon it has been found necessary to clip during the 

 first season. In any event, clipping, if undertaken at all, should 

 be with the sickle bar of the mower set high, and probably should 

 not be resorted to unless it is found impossible to hold the 

 weeds in check by the ordinary cultivations. As there is still 

 some uncertainty regarding clipping the first season, it is sug- 

 gested that farmers leave a portion of the field undipped to dem- 

 onstrate the best practice under various conditions. Should the 

 plants begin to set seed, clipping will be advisable. In cases 

 where it is practicable, hand weeding or hoeing may be used to 

 supplement horse cultivation. 



Treatment of the Stand After the First Season. The treatment 

 of the stand during subsequent seasons will differ very little from 

 that of the first season. The plants should average not more 

 than four to the foot. In the spring or early summer of the 

 second season, if the natural methods of thinning out have not 

 been severe enough, it will be necessary to harrow crosswise 

 lightly to accomplish a further reduction in thickness of stand. 

 It may also be worth while to go over the rows with a hoe as 

 soon as the plants commence to set seed, cutting out undesirable 

 individuals. This operation will involve considerable time and 



