94 HORTICULTURE BY IRRIGATION. 



already moistened deeply, either by reason of heavy rains or seepage water 

 in the sub-soil, this of itself may be sufficient. It not unfrequently hap- 

 pens that the soil is so well moistened from seepage alone as to require 

 scarcely any irrigation. 



Water should never be allowed to stand long upon alfalfa, nor to 

 freeze on ground that is seeded to it, as there is danger of killing the roots 

 by want of care in these particulars. 



HARVESTING. 



Next in importance to having a thick, even stand of grass is the mat- 

 ter of harvesting at the right time. Some experience is needed to deter- 

 mine this point; but the generally accepted rule now is to "cut when the 

 plant is just coming into blossom," and not to wait until it is in full bloom 

 and ready to go to seed. Here is where mistakes are generally made, as 

 it is easy to ruin the cutting by failure either to cut "in the nick of time" 

 or to cure properly ; in other words, it means simply the difference be- 

 tween clean, sweet, nutritious and palatable food, and dried-up, woody, 

 innutritious, indigestible, worthless stuff. In this connection I quote from 

 a clear-headed writer (Mr. McNeal), before the Wheat Ridge Farmers' 

 Institute, of Jefferson County, Colorado. 



" Alfalfa is valuable in proportion to the quantity of sugar and albu- 

 men it contains, which makes it, when properly handled, a sweet and 

 palatable feed for stock. Cut when just coming into bloom, it contains 

 one-third more nutritive properties than when fully ripened, which are 

 lost if allowed to form seed, and makes the hay both innutritious and 

 indigestible. So, if alfalfa is cut at the proper time, the juices are in a 

 condition to thicken and become sufficiently dried, so that little sun will 

 be required to cure to that degree that the hay may be safely placed in 

 the stack, to go through a natural chemical change which gives it its fra- 

 grant aroma. Some allow their hay to stand until it is all dried up and 

 nothing but a woody stock remains. When stock are forced to obtain 

 subsistence from such dried*up stuff, it compels them to enter upon a 

 struggle for existence in which they get worsted. Make hay while the 

 sun shines and make it early. Do not wait until all the juices and the 

 sweetness of the plants have been absorbed by the seeds, leaving nothing 

 but poor, dry, chippy, dusty stuff. Start the mower early, cure well, stack 

 properly and carefully, and so have nice, sweet, bright hay, and get the 

 highest price you can for it. 



