AGRICULTURE FOR BEGINNERS 



cultivation, therefore, good fertile land that is moist but 

 not water-soaked should be selected. 



Good farmers are partial to alfalfa for three reasons. 

 First, it yields a heavy crop of forage or hay. Second, 

 being a legume, it improves the soil. Third, one seeding 



lasts a long time. 

 This permanency 

 may, however, be 

 destroyed by pas- 

 turing or abusing 

 the alfalfa fields. 



This plant dif- 

 fers from most 

 plants in one re- 

 spect. The soil in 

 which it grows 

 must have certain 

 kinds of bacteria 

 in it. These cause 

 the growth of 

 tubercles on the 

 roots. However, 

 these bacteria are not always present in land that has not 

 been planted in alfalfa. Hence if this plant is to be 

 grown successfully, these helpful bacteria must sometimes 

 be supplied artificially. 



There are four very easy ways of supplying the germs. 

 First, dust or soil taken from a field in which alfalfa has 

 been grown may be scattered over the seeds to be used. 

 The germs in the soil will go into the ground with the 

 seeds and multiply when needed. Second, fine soil from 



FIG. 252. 



SHEEP FATTENING ON ALFALFA 

 STUBBLE 



Copyright, 1903, Doubleday, Page & Co. 



