ALFALFA, FORAGE CROPS AND PASTURES 273 



irrigation of lucern usually comes the first or second week 

 in June and occasionally as late as the third or fourth week 

 in June. Little water in the soil at the time of first growth 

 makes it necessary to apply water even earlier. 



It is sufficient, under conditions of deep soil and moder- 

 ate evaporation, to give the crop one irrigation for each 

 cutting; two or even three light irrigations for each cut- 

 ting are not objectionable. The best present practice is 

 to apply water a few days before cutting and again soon 

 after cutting nearly two irrigations for each cutting. 



If one irrigation for each cutting is used, it is always a 

 question whether to apply it before or after cutting. If 

 water is applied just before the cutting of alfalfa, when the 

 land is covered with a heavy growth, there is more trouble 

 to cover the land properly with water. On the other 

 hand, the water becomes well distributed throughout 

 the soil in time to serve the second cutting to the best 

 advantage. If the water is applied immediately after 

 cutting, there is less trouble hi applying it to the clean 

 field, but it will take longer time before the plant can make 

 as good use of the water as it could if it were already dis- 

 tributed throughout the soil. In the Utah work, no appre- 

 ciable difference in total seasonal yield was found whether 

 the irrigation was applied just before or just after cutting. 

 Heavy soils bake .more readily if water is applied after 

 cutting. 



Bark has determined the time at which alfalfa is irri- 

 gated by a large number of Idaho farmers and the per- 

 centage of the season's irrigation applied each month. 

 The following table shows some of the results: 



Per cent Per cent 



April 1.28 July 30.00 



May 20.90 August . . r-**. . . . 23.75 



June 16.95 September . . . ^^ . . 4.42 



R 



