200 BETTER DAIRY FARMING 



336. Seeding. — The soil should be well prepared and compact, 

 as the crop will not winter well in a loose seed bed. Sowing in 

 midsummer can be practiced except on heavy soils or where dry 

 summers are the rule. On heavy soils the plants may not get 

 sufficient start to live through the first winter. In a dry season 

 it is difficult to prepare the seed bed properly. Earlier sowing is 

 the alternative. Many prefer to sow in June. Weeds bother more 

 at this time, but they can be killed if the soil is frequently harrowed 

 from early spring until sowing. On verj r heavy soils still earlier 

 sowing, say May 1, may be advantageous if the soil can be properly 

 prepared. Usually it is best to sow no nurse crop with alfalfa since 

 the young plants are tender and must be favored at the start. 

 Where the land is especially well adapted to alfalfa a nurse crop 

 may be used. 



337. Use only good seed. — Only the best seed should be used. 

 Northwestern grown seed of the Grimm variety is the kind best 

 adapted to New York State and areas of similar climate. Recom- 

 mendations differ widely as to the amount of seed to use. We 

 suggest 20 pounds to the acre, but believe that the farmer should 

 be governed by the practice in his own locality and by the advice 

 of his Farm Bureau Agent, since many local factors affect the 

 question as to the amount of seed to be used. 



338. Time to cut alfalfa. — For the largest total yields alfalfa 

 must be cut promptly whenever it is ready. Some judge this by 

 the extent of the bloom, cutting it when it is one-fourth in bloom. 

 However, in certain sections of the country the plant fails to bloom 

 at all. Thus a better general rule is to cut as soon as the new buds 

 at the base of the plant are well started. By harvesting the crop 

 at this early stage the hay will contain more protein and less fiber 

 and be more digestible than if cut later. Further, early and 

 frequent cutting means maximum yield. The number of cuttings 

 will, of course, depend on the growing season. Usually a cutting 

 can be made every 30 or 40 days during this season. 



339. Curing. — The ideal hay for feeding must be bright in 

 color and have a nice, sweet aroma. It is very important that as 

 little as possible of the leafy material be lost. The leaves are tender 



