44 A YEAR IN AGRICULTURE 



bacteria must be supplied if they are not present. This is 

 best done by scattering over the seed-bed just before or after 

 seeding about half a wagonload per acre of natural, well 

 infected soil, collected where tubercles containing the bacteria 

 are found in abundance upon the roots of alfalfa or sweet 

 clover plants. This infected soil should be immediately har- 

 rowed in with the alfalfa seed. Care must be taken that the 

 infected soil is not left exposed too long to bright sunlight, 

 because sunlight destroys the bacteria. The glue method 

 of inoculation is also practical. (See 4 below.) 



FIG. 6. HARVESTING ALFALFA 



Cutting alfalfa. Alfalfa should be cut the first season 

 whenever it seems to stop vigorous growth. In no case should 

 any weeds be allowed to develop seeds, even if the alfalfa 

 must be clipped and left to lie on the ground. The crop may 

 be cut every five or six weeks. The rule commonly followed 

 is to cut alfalfa when the new shoots from the crown are 

 about one inch long. In the fall it should not be cut very 

 late because of danger from winter killing. The practice of 



