Alfalfa in Kansas. 271 



lower portion of the stack absorbing moisture from the ground. Similar 

 material should be used in topping out the stack. Alfalfa straw from 

 which a seed crop has been produced is poor material to shed water, and 

 if heavy rains occur much seed will be damaged because of the rain 

 absorbed by the stack. Old hay, millet or sorghum hay makes a much 

 better stack top than alfalfa, and it can be profitably used in a covering 

 for a seed-alfalfa stack. In the absence of these or similar materials a 

 canvas stack cover can be used to a good advantage. 



The alfalfa huller is the most satisfactory implement with which to 

 thresh alfalfa. However, very few of these machines are available in 

 Kansas, and it is only in limited sections that the purchase of an alfalfa 

 huller is warranted. An ordinary threshing machine with a hulling at- 

 tachment does good work when the machine is properly operated. Best 

 results are obtained by threshing during dry cold weather, as alfalfa is 

 most brittle at that time. Alfalfa can be threshed satisfactorily at any 

 time when conditions are dry, but threshing should be avoided if possible 

 during damp, humid weather, as the straw is tough under these conditions 

 and the seed will not thresh out readily. 



HANDLING THE SEED. 



Threshing machines and hullers very rarely clean the alfalfa seed 

 thoroughly, and in order to obtain seed that will command the highest 

 market prices, recleaning is necessary. Very often the increase in price 

 received for the seed will more than pay for the extra work in recleaning 

 it. However, very few growers have the necessary equipment for grading 

 alfalfa, and unless the amount of seed on hand is considerable it may not 

 be practical to invest in a machine for this purpose. 



Alfalfa seed when properly stored will keep for several years without 

 any material deterioration in the vitality of the seed. Growers who 

 obtain an occasional crop can hold over seed for their own use for several 

 years without any fear of the seed becoming devitalized. Growers can also 

 take advantage of this characteristic and hold seed for a year or two for 

 better prices, during periods of abnormal production. (See "Seed Crops," 

 in index.) 



ALFALFA IN ROWS FOR WESTERN KANSAS. 



By W. A. BOYS, District Agricultural Agent, West Central Kansas, Hays. 



Rowed alfalfa for western Kansas is not recommended as a "bonanza" 

 crop. However, on dry upland it can be substituted for alfalfa planted 

 in the ordinary manner, and several divide-land farmers in west central 

 Kansas have found it to be as profitable as any other crop they can 

 grow. One of the great needs of this part of the state is a leguminous 

 crop which can be fed with the sorghum crops that are grown in such 

 abundance. By growing alfalfa in this way a more nearly balanced 

 ration will be grown on the farm, and the farmer can produce beef, milk 

 or pork more economically than is done at the present time. 



Five or ten acres of rowed alfalfa will pasture as many hogs as the 

 average farmer will try to grow. It will not require a large amount of 

 alfalfa hay to feed a few brood sows and pigs during the winter months, 



