8 



FARMERS' MONTHLY OF HAMPSHIRE COUNTY 



Aifiiira Tours Held | six-and-a-half acre field sown last July 



Continued from page 1. column 1 ] was first seen. Here an alfalfa-timothy- 



seeded last year. The alfalfa was about clover mixture was used. The alfalfa 

 two feet tall and certainly was a sight and timothy have the upper hand over 

 worth seeing. An older stand had just the clover. On the lighter parts of the 

 been harvested and produced about two- field, the crop was suffering from drought 



but it was agreed that the field should 

 average two tons of hay per acre. Two 

 years ago this field was manured for corn 

 and three tons of lime was harrowed in. 

 Last year the corn stubble was plowed 

 under and four tons of lime per acre were 

 applied, also phosphate at the rate of five 



and-a-half tons of hay per acre. The 

 County Agent was kept answering ques- 

 tions till well after dark. 



Qranby Fields visited 



The Granby tour started at Henry 

 Baker's. He has five acres seeded last 

 year with alfalfa, alsike and timothy, hundred pounds per acre . 

 One corner of the field was sown without I The adjoining part of the field was 

 inoculation. In this part of the field the i seeded in oats two years ago and had 

 alfalfa was about a foot tall and about j three tons of lime per acre. Last year a 

 the color of ripening wheat. On the rest j heavy crop of clover was harvested. This 

 of the field the alfalfa was over two feet year there is practically no clover and the 

 tall and dark green in color. ! timothy is rather thin. This piece was 



At Galusha's Granby Hay Farm, a six- j compared with a two-acre alfalfa field 

 acre field, seeded this spring in oats, was j which was seeded at the same time. The 

 inspected. The alfalfa was sown about ' alfalfa will yield about two tons per acre, 



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Clothing that you can rely on 

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 Top Coats $28.50 to $40. 



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MERRITT CLARK & CO. 



IVORTHAMPTOX, MASS. 



the middle of April and showed a fine 

 color. As is common in spring seeding, 

 weeds had made quite a start but these 

 and the oats will be moved before there 

 is danger of smothering the alfalfa., 



E. T. Clark's field of three acres was 

 next seen. This piece was fitted last fall. 

 This spring lime was put on and thor- 

 oughly disced in early in April. Then the 

 field was gone over at least once a week 

 with the smoothing harrow till May 1 

 when the alfalfa was sown. In this way, 

 the weeds were killed before seeding and 

 a clean stand resulted. 



while the grass will do well to produce 

 one ton. It is expected that at least one 

 more crop will be cut from the alfalfa 

 field this year. 



Another field is being prepared for 

 seeding to alfalfa this July. The piece 

 was limed last year for corn and again 

 this spring. It was thoroughly fitted with 

 a tractor harrow followed by a plank 

 drag and smoothing harrow. While the 

 hay fields were bone dry to a depth of 

 six inches, plenty of moisture could be 

 found an inch under the surface of this 

 field. The seed bed was ideal for alfalfa 



On another field, Mr. Clark has a lime seeding in that it was firm under the top 

 demonstration on clover which was seeded j inch or so of soil. Surface cultivations 



last year in oats. One strip was left 

 without lime, while another had wood 

 ashes in addition to the lime. On the un- 

 limed strip, the sorrel is as high as the 

 clover. The limed part of the field shows 

 a fine stand of clover and timothy with- 

 out sorrel. The section where the wood 

 ashes were applied is the best, apparently 

 showing that additional lime and potash 

 would pay. About one-and-a-half tons 

 of agricultural lime per acre was on the 

 limed part of the field. 



Rimbold Brothers' farm was next visit- 

 ed. Here an excellent job has been done 

 with the weeder on soy beans and on corn. 

 The importance of starting the weeder 

 before weeds could be seen was brought 

 out. The soy beans were about five in- 

 ches high and were entirely free from 

 weeds. The corn which was six inches 

 tall had been gone over that day with the 

 weeder. No torn out or broken stalks 

 were found. The weeds too were among 

 the missing. 



Easthampton Alfalfa Meeting 



The third alfalfa meeting was held on 

 the McConnell Fann in Ea.sthampton. 

 Manager Haswell has about eight-and-a- 

 half acres of alfalfa growing on land 

 which did not even grow good bunch 

 grass and birches five years ago. The 



with the smoothing harrow have compact- 

 ed the seed bed and yet by forming a 

 surface mulch have consei-ved soil mois- 

 ture. 



Side Lights of the Trips 



Teacher: John, how much are six and 

 six? 



John: Twelve. 



Teacher: Pretty good! 



John : Pretty good, be darned ! That's 

 perfect ! 



Some of the dairy farmers must have 

 felt the same way about the alfalfa 

 fields they visited. Fifteen decided they 

 would try fields of their own this sum- 

 mer! 



It was interesting to note that a good 

 many of the alfalfa fields visited were on 

 land which most farmers would call pret- 

 ty poor. Even under this handicap, al- 

 falfa was making a better crop than 

 would any other hay crop. 



One man said he never inoculated al- 

 falfa, yet got a perfect stand. Come to 

 find out, he has used some alfalfa every 

 time he seeded. It took him ten years 

 to get inoculation. Now that cultures 

 have been perfected one can get the same 

 results in one season. It pays to inocu- 

 late alfalfa. 



In 1919 the census showed that there 

 were ninety-seven acres of alfalfa in this 



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NOUTHAMI'TON, MASS. 



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