224. IRRIGATION FARMING. 



unsuited to alfalfa culture. As a matter of fact, the 

 soil itself cuts but very little figure in the success of the 

 crop so long as contaminating influences do not come in 

 to lay injury upon it. Any soil will do, so long as it 

 has a porous substratum for proper drainage, and so 

 that there is no accumulation of surface water to injure 

 the crown and root of the plant. Corn land is just the 

 thing for alfalfa any soil that is of a friable character 

 answers every need of the plant. And carefully seeded, 

 protected, and cared for in a common-sense way, failure 

 will scarcely result, and winterkilling need not be 

 feared, as the plant is much more hardy than red clover. 

 Bench land is preferable to bottom land, and sandy loam 

 is more desirable than clay, though some clay soils an- 

 swer well for alfalfa, but the plants are longer in becom- 

 ing established. Alfalfa should not be sown on sod for 

 the reason that so valuable and permanent a crop should 

 never be laid on a surface rough and difficult of irriga- 

 tion. Where there is a loamy soil "old land" is best 

 upon which to sow alfalfa, and should be plowed deep, 

 and if not to be irrigated, should be subsoiled. 

 With sandy land over very porous subsoil, where irriga- 

 tion is not practiced, good success often results from 

 seeding on sod. On land of this nature thorough sur- 

 face preparation without subsoiling will probably give 

 the most satisfactory results. 



Preparing the Land. In starting alfalfa'the first 

 point claiming consideration is the selection and prepara- 

 tion of the soil. The plowing should, if possible, be 

 done in the fall, and in the arid regions the use of the 

 subsoil plow is almost an imperative necessity. In the 

 spring, before seeding, the land should be carefully 

 graded to a surface so even as to obviate the necessity 

 for the irrigator ever to slep into the growing crop to 

 force the water with a shovel. Whoever neglects to do 

 this will, when too late, have ahumlunl and untvasin-- 



