CHAPTER XXIII. 



The Enemies of Alfalfa 



The most notable enemies of alfalfa are weeds, insects, 

 parasites, and animals. More failures to raise alfalfa are 

 caused by weeds than by all other enemies combined. 

 The cause of weeds in a field is usually poor farming. 

 Clipping alfalfa early in May will kill many weeds. If 

 the weeds grow up, clip again and do the same every 

 time they threaten to become rampant. If they are kept 

 from seeding, and do not in a large measure crowd out 

 the alfalfa, good crops may be had from it the second 

 season. If sowed in the fall, disking early in April may 

 kill most of the weeds. It is folly to sow alfalfa on a foul 

 field, as it is far less expensive to kill out the weeds 

 beforehand. Disking and clipping will do much to 

 destroy them, but if they secure a strong foothold the 

 best thing to do is to plow up the field, plant it in corn, 

 give it clean cultivation, and sow alfalfa again when the 

 weeds have been exterminated. 



DODDER 



Dodder is an annoying enemy. It is a parasite, belong- 

 ing to the morning-glory family, growing from its own 

 small seed but attaching itself very soon to the alfalfa 

 stalk. It then separates itself from its own root and 

 thereafter lives on the juices of the alfalfa until it ripens 



