96 FARM CROPS 



alfalfa on thin or worn land to take a year or two 

 in preparing the soil by green manuring, deep plow- 

 ing and thorough cultivation, with the application 

 also, when possible, of barnyard manure. Alfalfa 

 may be started in very thin land, deficient in humus 

 and nitrogen, but which contains a sufficient sup- 

 ply of the mineral elements of plant food ; but under 

 such conditions it starts very slowly, and may not 

 produce profitable crops for a year or two after 

 seeding; yet, in time, when the plants have estab- 

 lished a deep root system and are well supplied 

 with the nitrogen-gathering bacteria, the alfalfa 

 makes a thrifty growth and produces excellent 

 crops, even without manuring or fertilization. 



How Much Seed to Sow. The amount of alfalfa 

 seed to sow will depend to some extent upon the 

 quality and vitality of the seed. The general practice 

 has been and perhaps still is, to sow about 20 pounds 

 of seed to the acre ; but many of the oldest and most 

 successful alfalfa growers are now using much less 

 seed. Good stands have been reported from sow- 

 ing as little as 5 pounds of good seed to an acre. 

 With alfalfa, as with clover, doubtless the season 

 has much to do with securing a successful catch. 



The Seed Bed. A deep, loose seed bed is not a 

 favorable one in which to seed alfalfa, clover or 

 grasses. Such a seed bed may be in a favorable 

 condition for planting potatoes, or perhaps corn 

 may sprout and grow well under the conditions 

 named, since the seed is large and strong in vitality 

 and contains much nutriment to nourish and start 

 the young plant. But with clover, alfalfa, grasses 

 and other small seeds the ideal seed bed should be 

 mellow, but finely pulverized only about as deep 

 as the seed is planned. Beneath the point at which 



