Alfalfa in Kansas. 



297 



OPERATION AND CARE. The packer or roller is used primarily to firm 

 the soil and pulverize the clods. Smooth-drum rollers must be followed 

 by a spike-tooth harrow; therefore one of the other types is preferable. 

 Care should be taken not to go on the field when too wet, and to pay some 

 attention to the bearings. Two horses are commonly used on the 8-foot 

 machine. (See "Roller," in index.) 



Broadcast seeding has been known since the time crops were first 

 planted. Even now the first method of seeding by hand is resorted to for 

 small patches of ground. To-day there are several broadcast machines 

 on the market, the names of which will suffice: the knapsack, wheel- 

 barrow, endgate narrow-tread broadcast, and wide-tread broadcast seed- 

 ers. In addition there are seeding attachments for many machines. 

 These will be discussed later. 



The broadcast seeders as commonly built plant alfalfa seed too 

 thickly. Knapsack and endgate seeders are seldom used for alfalfa. 



OPERATION AND CARE. Look under seeding attachments. 



FIG. 235. Grass seeder often used in seeding alfalfa 



Seeding Attachments. 



These can be placed on disk harrows, weeders, alfalfa cultivators, and 

 grain drills. 



A hopper is often attached to one or both gangs of a disk harrow if 

 one gang laps one-half. The feed shaft is driven by a chain from one 

 gang bolt. Seed hoppers about 10 Vz feet long are placed on many weed- 

 ers, the feed shaft being driven from one of the barrow cart wheels. The 

 cut gives a general idea of how the attachment is put on. 



Grain-drill attachments are placed in front of the regular hopper and 

 the seed is carried down to the ground through the regular feed tubes. 

 However, they are often poorly constructed and after a few years be- 

 come unfit for use. 



OPERATION AND CARE. With the machines and attachments as above 

 described the seed is covered at the same time it is sown. This makes 



