45 

 Experience at Amherst has indicated that the cost of starting 

 the crop must always very materially exceed the cost of seeding 

 to ordinary mixed mowing. A brief statement of the conditions 

 which seem to be most likely to insure success will be of interest. 

 The soil should be one which is thoroughly drained : standing 

 water within less than six to eight feet of the surface would 

 mean almost certain failure. The best results in Amherst have 



been obtained on a medium loam made up principally of very fine 

 sand and silt underlaid at a depth of from three to five feet with 

 gravel. The soil should be as free from weeds and weed seeds 

 as possible, and it should be thoroughly enriched. In most local- 

 ities a heavy application of lime seems to be essential. 



The cuts illustrate the effects of liming in a striking manner. 

 The cylinders in which the alfalfa here shown were grown are 

 four feet in depth and two were filled with equal quantities 

 of thoroughly mixed soil. We are therefore certain the condi- 

 tions in the two were identical save as regards the use of lime. 

 The quantity of lime will in most cases vary from one to one and 

 one-half tons per acre. This should be spread upon the freshly 

 plowed surface and deeply worked in with a disc harrow. 



