PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES 243 



salt. The third crop is given the preference for seed, ana 

 is harvested when the plant is w^ell matured. I let it cure 

 in the v^indrow^s and haul to the thresher, handling as 

 little as possible. The common yield of seed is from lOO 

 pounds up, according to the stand. The cost of my hay, 

 on land worth $ioo to $150 per acre, does not exceed $2 

 per ton, and it sells for from $5 to $8, while seed brings 

 from 8 to 16 cents per pound. The hay after threshing 

 is of but little value. The pasture is unquestionably the 

 most profitable I have ever had any experience with, sup- 

 porting more stock of any kind to the acre than any other 

 forage plant. In early spring, cattle are liable to bloat 

 on the rank alfalfa, but after the first of June I have had 

 no trouble. There is no special difficulty in ridding land 

 of the plant, and it is undoubtedly as good for fertilizing 

 as Red clover. 



COLORADO 



Jacob Downing, Arapahoe county. — I introduced alfal- 

 fa into Colorado in 1862, and have between 500 and 700 

 acres. It is on upland, clay, sandy and loam soil, with 

 some adobe subsoil, but mostly sandy loam; it is gener- 

 ally dry to sand rock, and then it is necessary to drill 50 

 to 100 feet to get water. The plant will not thrive where 

 there is hardpan, but will grow in any soil that is dry. Un- 

 like most other forage plants it derives considerable nour- 

 ishment from the air and water, though too much 

 moisture will kill it. After deep plowing and thor- 

 ough pulverizing of the soil, the land should be 

 scraped thoroughly smooth, as this cannot be done 

 after sowing, and is needed to make the mower 

 work smoothly. I sow about 25 pounds to the acre. 



