LEGUMINOUS FORAGE CROPS 185 



growth of alfalfa and clean the soil of weeds and weed seeds. 

 This is best brought about by a crop which has been heavily 

 manured with stable or other organic manure and has received 

 thorough inter-cultural tillage. In Europe, the root crops fur- 

 nish this condition ; in New York State peas raised for the can- 

 ning factories seem to furnish the ideal condition; while in the 

 north and south central states the maize crop furnishes the 

 appropriate previous preparation. 



While an addition of stable manure at the rate of 20 loads 

 to the acre just before preparing the land for alfalfa is ob- 

 jectionable from the standpoint of adding weed seeds, yet ex- 

 perience has demonstrated that this is usually good practise 

 and upon some soils essential. On many soils in humid sections 

 lime should be added at the rate of 1,000 to 3,000 pounds an 

 acre. Assuming the land to have been in an inter-tilled crop 

 the previous year, the manure may be spread during the winter 

 or spring, the land plowed two to three weeks, and the lime 

 added about a week before seeding and immediately worked 

 into the soil with a spring tooth or disk harrow. 



The subsequent preparation of the soil should be such as 

 thoroughly to incorporate the manure and the lime with the soil 

 and to prepare a seed-bed suitable to receive and germinate 

 small seeds. This may be accomplished by means of a spring 

 tooth harrow and a roller or wooden drag. (C. A. 299) A 

 disk harrow is also desirable in order to secure deeper prepara- 

 tion, but is not essential. 



The above discussion applies more especially to the humid 

 sections of the United States. In the sub-humid sections there 

 is no trouble to get a stand if the soil is well prepared. Since 

 the incorporation of stable manure in the soil is likely to cause 

 it to dry out too rapidly where the rainfall is deficient, it is 

 better to top dress after a stand has been secured. West of 

 the Missouri River no lime is needed. 



