58 



Kansas State Board of Agriculture. 



FIG. 49. The effect of disking alfalfa. 1, Plant injured by disking. Note decay at base. 

 2, Vigorous young plant from two-year-old field. 3, Plant of same age as No. 1 and from 

 same field, not injured by disk. [Courtesy The Country Gentleman.] 



On the other hand, there are many who favor it: 



Nemaha county: "I disk my field each year, and find it pays, as the 

 ground takes in moisture more readily." 



Reno county: "I have increased the yield 500 to 800 pounds per acre 

 by disking early in the spring with a spike-tooth disk." 



Scott county: "I increase the yield one-third by double disking with 

 the spike disk." 



Sherman county: "I believe after alfalfa is one to two years old the 

 disk is of great benefit. I disked one field, where the grass was coming 

 among the alfalfa, until you would think it was plowed, and in a few days 

 the alfalfa came celan." 



Cloud county: "Only old alfalfa fields should be disked and cultivated. 

 It makes the hay finer and increases the yield." 



Comanche county: "The spike-tooth disk opens up the soil well; other 

 disks kill weeds." 



Dickinson county : "I disk every field of alfalfa once each season. By 

 this method I keep all weeds out, such as foxtail, crab grass and vines." 



Finney county: "I have disked my alfalfa when I thought it necessary 

 to kill out grass. Otherwise I do not disk or cultivate." 



Rooks county: "I have used the shovel digger, common disk and the 

 spike-tooth disk. I prefer the spike-tooth. If alfalfa is growing well 

 let it alone." 



Douglas county: "Cultivation proves very profitable and is the only 

 way to keep your field free from crab grass, foxtail and blue grass." 



