CULTURE. 3fr 



There are a hundred acres of dry upland 1 o Itoe of bottom land. Land, 

 that is in itself very fertile, with a beautiful, gently undulating surface., 

 but which is hopelessly beyond the reach of any system of irrigation, and 

 which owing to the dry climate with an average rain fall of less thai: 

 twenty inches, cannot be cultivated as farms are cultivated further east. 

 Can alfalfa bo grown here? The answer is a qualified affirmative. ActuaS 

 trials in many places have demonstrated that alfalfa can be grown on 

 these dry uplands, but the yield in forage is not to be compared with the 

 yield in the lowlands. In the first place, the obtaining of a good stand is 

 attended with more difficulties. If the rain in the early part of May is 

 sufficient only to germinate the seed, but not enough to sustain the young 

 plants till they get a foot hold, the stand will be light, and at times it may 

 require two or more seedings before the crop is well launched. Again, 

 the growth the first year is feeble, and nothing, either in the way of pas] 

 ture or hay, can reasonably be expected from it the first season; no pas- 

 ture, because it would kill the crop to turn the stock on it, and no hay 

 because the growth is too light. The second, third and succeeding years 

 it will jield increasingly good pasture, but it is only in favorable seasons- 

 that it will produce fair hay crops. Under the conditions named it is,, 

 however, a great thing for the plant to live and yield pasturage, for a& 

 pasturage it far exceeds the wild grasses both in quantity and quality^ 

 There is no better pasture for horses, hogs and sheep, nor indeed for cat- 

 tle, except that it sometimes causes them to bloat. This upland alfalfa 

 has one other good feature it yields seed of superior quality, even though 

 only in moderate quantity. Combining these feature* good pasture, an 

 occasional hay crop and a sure producer of good seed and add to this- 

 its manurial properties, which, as we shall see, is by no means its least 

 virtue, we have in alfalfa a better forage plant for the western plains- 

 than any other parenniH that hns yet been brought to our notice. 



The claims here made are moderate. Oftentimes it will exceed the re- 

 sults here promised. In favorable seasons the crop may be started with, 

 ease even on the unbroken prairie. The Hon. R. P. Kelly, of Eureka,. 

 Kansas, who is a close observer and an accomplished scientist, informs me 

 that he has seen a ca?p in point which is worth noting here. On a large- 

 ranch in Meade county, auout three hundred acres of creek bottom were? 

 sown to alfalfa. It grew well and yielded abundantly. On one occasion* 

 the crop was cut late, part of it having matured seed. This hay was fed 

 to a large herd of cattle during the fall and winter, and for that purpose 

 was spread over quite a large area of the adjoining slopes and upland. To^ 

 the surprise of the owners, as well as to all others who subsequently saw 

 it, the seed thus scattered on the prairie sod took root the following spring 

 and made a good and permanent stand of alfalfa. Another almost iden- 

 tical case happened in another place and has been related to me by the 

 owner of the pasture. If such accidents lead to success, what is to hinder 

 the same results being attained with the judicious use of proper imple- 

 ments and a good supply of seed ? 



There are places where alfalfa cannot grow, regardless of climate,. 

 Wherever there is an impervious clay, the so called "gumbo," or a layer 

 of hardpan, or rock within a few feet of the surface, it will be a total 

 failure if on the uplands, and but a very indifferent success on th& bot- 

 tom lands. Likewise on the bottom lands, where the soil water stands 

 too near the surface, or where it is overflowed for considerable periods,, 

 alfalfa should not be sown. 



For successful seeding prepare a good seed bed by whatever means* 

 may bf found most expedient In most cases I should prefer to plow in 

 the fall; or, in sections of liarht soil with dry and windy winters, early in, 

 spring. Pulverize the surface well, and do not sow the seed in this ele- 

 vated western region' until the latter part of April, or the beginning of 

 M.iy. Late frosts are liable to occur here, and these sometimes nip 



