HOME PROJECTS 333 



of the ground during the fall or winter preceding the sowing 

 of the seed. 



Good drainage is essential to alfalfa culture, and this should 

 be the first item to receive attention in the preparation of 

 the ground. 



Unless the soil is naturally ricK in limestone it is well to 

 put at least a ton of ground limestone per acre on the land to 

 be sowed to- alfalfa. This may be applied at any time. 



Since alfalfa is a heavy "feeder" upon phosphorus, it is 

 advisable to apply about a ton per acre of finely-ground 

 rock phosphate to the land before plowing the ground in the 

 fall or spring. Stable manure or a green cover crop should 

 be incorporated with the rock phosphate. 



The ground should be plowed deeply in the fall or as -early 

 in the spring as conditions will permit and placed in "onion 

 bed" tilth. Two methods of procedure may here be followed : 



First plan. Sow the alfalfa seed, about twelve or fifteen 

 pounds per acre, as soon as the ground is prepared, with a 

 nurse crop of barley, about one bushel per acre, or with the 

 "sixty-day" variety of oats. Before the barley or oats ma- 

 ture in the summer they should be cut as a hay crop, leaving 

 the field to alfalfa. 



Second plan. Cultivate the ground all spring and early 

 summer as you would a corn crop to conserve the moisture 

 and to keep down weeds. During the last week of July or 

 the first week in August sow the alfalfa seed. 



Sowing seed and inoculating soil. In either method as 

 mentioned above, the ground should be inoculated with alfalfa 

 bacteria just before sowing the seed. 



