IRRIGATION AGE. 



raked into winrows and the work accum- 

 ulates so that it cannot be readily 

 stacked when cured, it should be placed 

 into nice, well rounded shocks, which 

 protects it from the drying sun and 

 scorching winds and I am not sure, but 

 its the very best way to cure the alfalfa. 

 In the shock the alfalfa may be allowed 

 to remain until one can feel certain it 

 has become ripe for the stack, which can 

 be determined largely by taking hold of 

 the stems and see if they will break 

 readily by twisting, if instead of break- 

 ing when bent the sterns yield like a 

 string, then it has not cured sufficiently 

 to be placed in the stack with safety, as 

 it will be almost certain to stack burn, 

 which renders it unfit for commercial 

 purposes or for feeding to horses. 



Alfalfa should never be moved when 

 the dew is on and if possible rain should 

 never be allowed to fall upon it between 

 the cutting and stacking, as the rain 

 bleaches it, and the leaves fall off readily 

 afterward. When properly cured it 

 should be placed in the stack, and the 

 sooner it is done the better. At this 

 period above all others, there is not a 

 place to be found for a lazy or drowsy 

 man, for if allowed to remain in the 

 winrow it dries out and the leaves more 

 readily fall from the stems, a rain also is 

 liable to come unawares, and does it 

 much damage; then push the stacking 

 and its color, weight and nutritive qual- 

 ities are the better preserved. If a large 

 crop is tj be harvested and fifteen to 

 twenty acres have been cut and made 

 ready, two or three go-devils to convey 

 the alfalfa to the stack may be used to 

 good purposes when two good stout men 

 should be on the stack, one of whom 

 should take charge of shaping the stack 

 and to build a good stack he cannot too 

 well understand this work; watching the 

 sides and walking over the stack occas- 

 ionally to find out and fill in the places 

 that need evening up, is very essential 

 and at all times keeping the center full 

 and highest, especially as it nears the 

 top. Alfalfa will settle in the stack 

 very considerably in a few days, there- 

 fore retopping once or twice would be 

 very advisable, and until it settles pro- 

 perly a good-sized canvas might be used 

 to great advantage to prevent the rains 

 soaking in, for new alfalfa stacked will 

 not turn off water as it falls like other 



grasses, but the rain readily soak, in, 

 doing much damage if the tops are not 

 carefully protected in some way. It is 

 now time I should close, but will take 

 the liberty to say that alfalfa is our main 

 and most valuable crop. It pays a greater 

 per cent, of profit than any other. Cattle 

 fed on it through the winter come out 

 in better shape to place on grass than 

 from any other one feed as it contains 

 just the elements needed to make and 

 develop bone and muscle and give health 

 and vigor to the animal. Not only the 

 best bred Hereford, the Shorthorn, the 

 Galloway, the Poll-Angus and other 

 strains of high grade cattle (of which 

 Kansas produces among the best in the 

 United States) but the stringy, knotty, 

 tow-headed stock of Arkansas and Louis- 

 iana, when once they become introduced 

 will run and bawl for it and from its 

 use will widen out rapidly. Instead of 

 baling our alfalfa and shipping it to the 

 heathens in the different cities of the 

 east who are slow to become acquainted 

 with its merit and value, we have at last 

 become fully persuaded that the best 

 way to dispose of it is to compress it into 

 the stomachs of cattle. With alfalfa 

 and cattle, the bright shining star of 

 hope and success beams upon us. 



CORN UNDER IRRIGATION. 



BY A SUBSCRIBER. 



" I 'HERE has been much said and writ- 

 ten on the different methods of irri- 

 gation and the best means of getting 

 water over the ground, and as what has 

 been the experience of the writer and a 

 cost of time and labor may be of benefit 

 to beginners in irrigation, we will 

 give what we have found best adapted 

 to this western country where corn and 

 wheat are the principal crops raised. 

 To put in corn we find the best method 

 is what we call double listing. That is 

 we list out the stubble ground in the 

 fall and give it a thorough watering in 

 October, running the water down the 

 furrows till the soil will take no more. 

 This leaves the field in good condition 

 to catch winter moisture and keep the 

 sub-soil moist, which in a country where 

 irrigation is necessary, is almost always 

 dry. When planting time comes these 

 ridges are thrown out with a lister with 

 a good sub-soiler attached and planted 



