THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



35 



Steps have now been taken to develop 

 this splendid heritage and to establish a 

 settlement thereon composed of thrifty, 

 industrious, temperate people, entitled 

 the Homes-tead Irrigation Settlement. 

 Mr. Jas. W. Wilson, the well known 

 agricultural journalist, 79 Dearoorn street, 

 Chicago, is at the head of it. Associated 

 with him is Mr. John M. Kuykendall, a 

 wealthy and influential citizen of Denver, 

 Colo , and Judge W. L. Kuykendall and 

 H. L. Kuykendall, extensive cattlemen in 

 the valley. Mr. Wilson has successfully 

 located four similar settlements prior to 

 this one, all of which are prosperous. 



The plan is a liberal one, giving perpet- 

 ual water rights with no subsequent rentals 

 and land at less than half the prices 

 afforded under other reliable systems and 

 at about one-fourth the average price of 

 irrigated farms of equal merit. 



SOWING ALFALFA SEED. 

 The first essential in the culture of al- 

 falfa is to prepare the seed bed. The 

 ground may be plowed either in the fall or 

 early in the spring, the same depth as for 

 oats or wheat. Repeated harrowings 

 should be given the land on which the seed 

 is to be sown, and if there are any lumps 

 it will be well to pass a roller over it after 

 the harrowing is done. The ground should 

 be sufflently moist when the seed is sown 

 to insure its germination. Where there is 

 lack of moisture it should be irrigated be- 

 fore the seed is sown. The seed may be 

 sown broadcast or in drills. It should be 

 covered about one inch deep. The amount 

 of seed to the acre should be from 20 to 25 

 pounds. Alfalfa does not do well when 

 sown with a nurse crop; those who are 

 most successful with it give it the full use 

 of the ground. Where irrigation is possi- 

 ble the first wetting, after the young plants 

 are started, should take place as soon as 

 the plants are to be seen well above ground. 

 This first watering of the young plants 

 .must be done with great care in order to 



prevent injury. Care must be taken to 

 prevent washing away of the soil and con- 

 sequent covering up of the young growth. 

 It is customary in the valleys where irri- 

 gation prevails to give the crop from two 

 to three waterings before the first cutting, 

 the first one when the plant first appears, 

 the second a few weeks later and the third 

 just before cutting, i. e., long enough be- 

 fore to let the ground dry sufficiently for 

 mowing and curing the hay. A difference 

 of opinion prevails as to this last watering. 

 Some prefer to wait until the first crop is 

 cut and housed, and then let the water on 

 immediately after. The field is always 

 irrigated at least once between each cut- 

 ting, and occasionally twice. Where a 

 seed crop is desired it follows the first 

 cutting. It is seldom the case that a 

 profitable hay crop can be cut the same 

 season after a seed crop, but good pasture- 

 age follows the seed crop and lasts through 

 the season. A good crop of alfalfa will 

 yield from 2 to 3 tons of hay at the first 

 cutting, and the seed crop that follows will 

 be from 6 to 8 bushels per acre. When no 

 seed crop is wanted and hay only is sought 

 the field can under favorable conditions be 

 mowed from 5 to 6 times, and the average 

 will be about four cuttings in a season 

 on the Pacific coast. < In Colorado and Kan- 

 sas the average is. about three cuttings. 

 The yield of hay from an acre of thrifty 

 alfalfa is from five to eight tons a season. 



LOUISIANA SUGAR GROWERS PRO- 

 TEST. 



The Cuban concession has aroused de- 

 termined opposition in Louisiana. On the 

 ninth of January some four hundred sugar 

 growers of the state assembled in the 

 Grand Opera House in New Orleans and 

 fully discussed the menace to the industry 

 they represent. 



The sentiment of the meeting was re- 

 solved into a formal protest which will be 

 presented to Congress by a duly appointed 

 committee. 



