ALFALFA IN MEADOWS 359 



field to another often carries enough bacteria to inoculate 

 land on which the crop has not previously been grown. 



472. Treatment of New Meadows. If alfalfa is sown in 

 the spring, it is hkely to need some attention during the first 

 season to keep down weeds. If the weeds are numerous and 

 threaten to destroy the stand of alfalfa, the plants should 

 be clipped back with the mower to a height of about 6 inches. 

 If the plants begin to turn yellow, clipping will often start 

 them into vigorous new growth. If this yellowing is due to 

 disease, the clippings should be burned, otherwise they may 

 be left as a mulch. If the alfalfa is not sown till late summer 

 or early fall, no clipping or other treatment is usually neces- 

 sary that year, and the following season one or more crops 

 of hay may be cut. The field should not be pastured the 

 first or second year, for the young crowns are quite easily 

 destroyed. Later, when they become more firmly estab- 

 Hshed, some pasturing is possible. 



473. Treatment of Old Meadows. On loose soil no treat- 

 ment is ordinarily given to alfalfa meadows other than an 

 occasional harrowing. On land which is inclined to pack, disk- 

 mg every spring with the disks set straight so as to cut up 

 the surface, but not to throw out the plants or cut off the 

 crowns, will improve the growth of the crop. Disking should 

 be done with caution where alfalfa does not thrive, for it may 

 cause much more injury than benefit. If it seems desirable 

 to disk the field, experiment with a small portion of it for 

 a season before risking the entire acreage. 



474. Making the Hay. The time to cut alfalfa for hay 

 is when the young sprouts of the second growth begin to 

 start from the crowns, which is when the plants are just 

 coming into bloom. Cutting should not be delayed beyond 

 this time, for the leaves of the old stems will begin to drop 

 off, and the new growth will be considerably retarded. After 

 the hay is cut, it should be removed from the land as soon 

 as possible to give the new growth a chance. The growth 



