CHAPTER X 

 Farm Crops 



ALFALFA. With good seed, a proper seed bed 

 and land adapted for growing the crop, a careful 

 farmer should be almost as sure of establishing a 

 successful stand of alfalfa as the average farmer is 

 of getting a stand of wheat or oats. This may seem 

 like a strong statement, since failure to get a good 

 stand of alfalfa has often been the experience of 

 many farmers, especially those who were inexpe- 

 rienced in growing this crop. However, it is gen- 

 erally true that the longer alfalfa is raised on any 

 farm, the more readily it grows and the easier it 

 becomes for the farmer to start the crop. 



Alfalfa will succeed in a variety of soils, grading 

 from sandy to heavy clay. The crop, however, 

 does not thrive alike on all soils; perhaps a deep, 

 fertile loam or clayey loam well supplied with the 

 mineral elements of plant food is the most favor- 

 able soil for growing alfalfa. The crop needs a 

 deep, well-drained soil ; on wet land, with under- 

 ground water too near the surface, alfalfa will often 

 produce poorly and the plant soon die. Alfalfa will 

 not thrive on a soil deficient in lime, which shows 

 an acid reaction. 



It is a fact well known to old clover growers that 

 clover cannot be readily started on old, worn lands 

 until the soil has been improved in texture and 

 fertility by manuring. The same is true also of 

 alfalfa, and it is often advisable before seeding 



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