PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES 255 



A mile west of Richmond lies the farm of J. H. Hollings- 

 worth, a well-known farmer, whose practical ideas about 

 farming have given him a local reputation. He is an 

 advocate of intensive farming and cultivates his crops in 

 the most thorough manner. He keeps a herd of dairy 

 cattle and in his search for more economical food than 

 mill stuffs and clover hay, he decided to try alfalfa and 

 feed it with a ration of corn meal. He had a tract of five 

 acres. This land was a clay loam with a good mixture 

 of sand. It was not underdrained, and Mr. Hollingsworth 

 believes the result would have been better had there been 

 a thorough system of underdrainage. The soil is what 

 is known here as sugar tree land. About May i of last 

 year, the tract was plowed moderately and then rolled. 

 During the previous winter a heavy top-dressing of barn- 

 yard manure had been applied to two acres for the pur- 

 pose of comparison. One week later the roller was run 

 over it again. After this the ground was thoroughly torn 

 up with a two-horse cultivator. This was for the purpose 

 of killing the weeds, which had been given time to take 

 a start. After the cultivator had thoroughly torn up the 

 ground, the field was harrowed twice both ways. It was 

 then rolled, and pronounced in first-class condition. The 

 weeds had succumbed to these repeated attacks and but 

 very few appeared in the crop later. This thorough prep- 

 aration of the ground is absolutely necessary for the suc- 

 cessful starting of alfalfa. It is a fastidious plant, re- 

 quiring the most favorable surroundings in its early life, 

 but gradually grows quite robust and strong. Its early 

 weeks seem to be the critical time in its life, and if it can 



