ALFALFA IN CROP ROTATION I95 



Others make it a rule to plow up their fields every four 

 years; thus the bacteria becomes fixed in the soil of the 

 whole farm. Such farmers use alfalfa as they formerly 

 used clover, to restore fertility needed for profitable crops 

 of grain, hay and forage. 



The sod is hard to plow. It is well to do the breaking 

 immediately after the season's cutting, if possible; disk 

 and harrow it several times and sow to rye for winter 

 pasture, and plant to corn or cotton or potatoes in the 

 spring. The winter's freezing will help to put it in fine 

 tilth. If it is desired to follow with wheat (not always 

 advisable, however, on account of causing a too rank 

 growth), the sod may be plowed after the year's second 

 mowing, disked and sowed to rye to prevent the soil from 

 leaching. 



Breaking up a well set alfalfa field is no trifling matter. 

 It may be done with three heavy horses, but it is hard 

 work for them, and they will not be able to break more 

 than one acre a day. An authority says the best plan is to 

 use five heavy horses — three in the lead and two on the 

 end of the beam. They can go right along and plow two 

 acres a day. Alfalfa roots are very tough and strong when 

 the plants have attained full growth, and they give a jerky 

 motion to the plow, which is severe on horses' shoulders. 

 A cast steel plow is the best to use and if it is tempered 

 right a file can just cut it. It can be hammered out thin 

 at the blacksmith's shop when it becomes too thick to file 

 easily. "The reason for filing, rather than using the 

 hard, thin edge as in other plowing is that the edge needs 

 to be rough as well as thin, or the roots will slip along 

 the sloping edge of the share and not be cut." It is 



