THE DIVERSIFIED FARM 



In diversified farming- by irrigation li&s tne salvation of agriculture 



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FALL SEEDING OF ALFALFA. 

 Alfalfa may be sown from August 15 to 

 September 15, and if the season is favor- 

 able, will make a vigorous growth through 

 the fall and go through the winter in good 

 condition. August sowing is preferable, 

 as it gives the alfalfa a longer time in 

 which to grow before the ground freezes. 



PREPARATION OF THE GROUND. 



The ground for alfalfa should be thor- 

 ough^ pulverized and deeply plowed, but 

 it must be well settled before seeding and 

 only the surface loose. Alfalfa will usually 

 fail if seeded in the fall on freshly plowed 

 ground. If it is necessary to plow the 

 ground before seeding, plow as early as 

 possible, harrow thoroughly, making a 

 good seed-bed, and then wait until a good 

 rain has settled the soil before seeding. 



A well cultivated corn field, with the 

 stalks cut and drawn off, will give ideal 

 conditions for seeding alfalfa. Such a field 

 should not be plowed, but harrowed before 

 seeding. Wheat, oat, flax and millet 

 stubble-ground plowed, harrowed thor- 

 oughly, and allowed to settle before seed- 

 ing, furnishes good conditions for alfalfa. 

 If such ground is mellow plowing may not 

 be necessary, and the land will need only 

 to be disked and cross-disked. 



A careful farmer and a careless renter a 

 few years ago put in alfalfa in adjoining 

 fields in northwestern Kansas. The farmer 

 plowed the land deeply ana pulverized it 

 until it was like a garden bed. He immedi- 

 ately sowed alfalfa, secured a thick stand, 

 and in a few months the alfalfa entirely 

 died out. The renter thought it would 

 not pay to spend much time on another 

 man's land. His field had been in corn 



the previous year. He broke the stalks 

 with a pole, sowed the seed broadcast, and 

 lightly covered it with a harrow. He se- 

 cured a good stand lhat was permanent. 

 Usually a good stand cannot be secur d 

 with so little preparation, but a deep, 

 mellow seed-bed at seeding time generally 

 insures a failure. The more thoroughly 

 the seed-bed is prepared the better, if it 

 is allowed to settle before seeding. 



The ground must be deeply pulverized, 

 well settled, with a good mulch on the 

 surface, and saturated with moisture, so 

 as to bring up the seed quickly and force 

 the fall growth. If either of these con- 

 ditions is lacking do not sow. 

 HOW TO sow. 



The best way to sow alfalfa is with a 

 press- drill, using twenty pounds of seed 

 per acre. Mix the seed with equal parts 

 by measure of coarse corn-chop or bran, 

 drill and cross-drill, sowing half the seed 

 each way. If either a hoe or disk drill is 

 used, care must be taken not to get the 

 seed too deep; about twelve times the 

 diameter of the seed is the proper depth, 

 if this places the seed in moist soil. If 

 necessary to sow broadcast, use twenty- 

 five to thirty pounds seed per acre, cover 

 with a harrow, and roll, unless there is 

 danger from blowing. It is much better 

 to seed with a drill. 



Alfalfa should be sown alone. It does 

 not want a nurse crop. 



WHERE FALL SEEDING IS PROFITABLE - 



In general, it may be said that fall seed" 

 ing is advisable wherever the proper con" 

 ditions of seed-bed in regard to moisture 

 and mechanical condition can be secured 

 in August or early September. In some 



