Alfalfa in Kansas. 



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PIG. 196. A good levnl will save a lot of grief and expense. [Courtesy Ohio Farmer.] 



tivated corn after two days of good drying weather following a two-inch 

 rain. I have broken ground after five days of good drying weather fol- 

 lowing an overflow. In five days after an overflow the water had lowered 

 to sixteen inches below the surface, as seen in the crawfish holes midway 

 between the laterals. This was where there is no hardpan and the sur- 

 face soil is from two and one-half to four feet deep. The tiled lands 

 stand the drouth better than the untiled, as plants can root deeper and 

 have thereby a larger root system to draw moisture and plant food. I 

 have found this particularly true with alfalfa here in our bottom land. 

 Alfalfa does well when corn does well, and they both grow rankest 

 right over the tile. Where they fail in tiled land you will find a hardpan 

 spot if you dig for it. You will not have to dig deep. Use plenty of 

 manure on this spot so that the roots will not need to go so deep for 

 plant food. 



The drainage system described cost from $1050 to $1100 for the whole 

 eighty, including cartage one and one-half miles from the railroad, survey, 

 laying, and covering. It has more than doubled the value of the farm. 

 This season (1915), one of the wettest on record, we had overflows and 

 very heavy, continuous rains. From 21 acres of the wettest ground we 

 got 300 bushels of corn, and from 20 acres more we cut about 40 tons of 

 alfalfa. It would have been impossible to farm any of this land without 

 drainage. 



I have never used any lime or fertilizer on such land as yet, for I 

 believe it useless to use lime when the land is so full of water. Drainage 

 sweetens land this I know and lime may do some good later, when 

 used with manure, for alfalfa, clover or SQme other legume. 



