94 SOILING CROPS ANt> THE SILO. 



because of the recognized tendency in weeds and in 

 some other grasses to increase and thus crowd out 

 the alfalfa, it is very important that the crop be 

 sown upon a clean seed bed. 



When alfalfa is sown with a nurse crop, the 

 preparation of the soil that is best suited to the nurse 

 crop is likely also to prove suitable to the alfalfa. 

 But in soils with much adhesion, it may be necessary 

 to further pulverize them before they are in the best 

 condition to receive the seed. 



In some instances, it will be better to plow the 

 land in the autumn; in other instances, as where 

 rainy winter climates prevail, plowing ought to be 

 deferred until spring. Sometimes, as in soils that 

 adhere overmuch, deep plowing is preferable and 

 subsoiling may even be very advantageous ; at other 

 times, as in tilling soils of the opposite extreme, 

 shallow plowing would be preferable. Usually after 

 crops that have been cultivated, it is only necessary 

 to finely pulverize the surface soil when preparing 

 it for a seed bed. 



In laying down a piece of land to alfalfa, it is 

 very important that at least the surface soil should 

 have in it much available fertility as well as that it 

 should be in fine condition as to tilth, while it is 

 probably true that no plant grown as food for live 

 stock has greater power to gather the elements of 

 support from the soil, the subsoil and the air than 

 alfalfa, it is also true that in the early stages of 

 growth alfalfa readily succumbs to vicissitudes from 

 various sources, as excessive wet or drouth, heat or 

 cold, overshading, or even undershading. The 

 behavior of the plant in after years depends in no 



