ALFALFA. 159 



3. Spring and Summer Seeding compared. 



In the spring of 1910 a small area of silt loam soil, under- 

 laid by gravel at the depth of 4 or 5 feet, was selected for the 

 purpose of comparing the results of seeding in early spring 

 with a nurse crop with the results of seeding in summer after 

 bare fallow with sufficiently frequent harrowing to keep down 

 weeds. The soil in question had been used during a number 

 of years for a variety of crops including potatoes, corn and 

 a test of varieties of alfalfa. Previous crops had been raised 

 on fertilizers. No manure had been applied for many years. 

 The soil contained a great many seeds of annual weeds, but 

 it was not infested with the roots of perennial weeds. The 

 entire field was limed on May 19 at the rate of If tons 

 agricultural lime. On one-half of the field fertilizers at the 

 following rates per acre were applied and harrowed in: — 



Pounds. 



Basic slag meal, 1,500 



High-grade sulphate of potash, 350 



Nitrate of soda, 125 



The spring sowing was made on May 19, with oats at the 

 rate of 1 bushel per acre as a nurse crop. Fertilizers were 

 applied to the other half on July 1, and the summer sowing 

 was made on August 1. 



From the spring-sown plot a fair crop of oats (somewhat 

 mixed with weeds) was harvested in July, and in addition 

 from this plot on September 21 was harvested a crop of 

 alfalfa hay at the rate of 1.41 tons per acre. The yields from 

 the two plots in the following year were as follows: — 



Spring-sown alfalfa at the rate of 3.44 tons per acre. 



Summer-sown alfalfa at the rate of 3.34 tons per acre. 



From the statements so far made the conclusion must 

 clearly be that the spring sowing had distinct advantages 

 over summer sowing. We have first to its credit a fair crop 

 of oat hay and a moderate crop of alfalfa the season of sowing; 

 and second, the yield the following year was slightly greater 

 than on the summer-sown alfalfa. There is, however, one 

 point connected with the results distinctly unfavorable to the 

 spring sowing, viz., the proportion of weeds in the product 



