276 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 



leaves to fall oft" when handled. Stack in the ordinary 

 way, but be sure the hay is thoroughly dry in the shock 

 before stacking. It is more liable to get moldy in the 

 barn than in the stack. About $2 per ton will cover all 

 expenses of raising, on land worth $50 per acre. The 

 expense of baling is about $1.50 per ton, 100-pound bales 

 being preferred. It should not be baled until perfectly 

 dry in the stack. About six bushels per acre is the aver- 

 age yield of seed, and it costs about 75 cents per bushel 

 to thresh and clean. A clover huller is the most satis- 

 factory for threshing alfalfa. The hay has sold here at 

 $3 to $10 per ton, averaging $6. The seed has brought 

 from $3 to $10 per bushel averaging $5. One acre of 

 alfalfa will raise 35 hogs, with the aid of a little grain. 

 Horses thrive on it, but it is unsafe for sheep and cattle. 

 Animals which chew the cud will bloat if pastured on 

 alfalfa. The only way to prevent it is to keep them from 

 the pasture. The best way to cure it is to insert a tube 

 into the paunch, to allow the gas to escape. As to the 

 longevity of the plant, I call to mind a patch sown in 

 1873, on upland, and it is still growing. Alfalfa attains 

 its best growth in about two years. I do not think it can 

 be profitably raised on high, arid ground, without irriga- 

 tion. Hogs can be wintered on alfalfa hay and a very 

 little grain, and cattle can be fattened for the home mar- 

 ket, but it produces softer flesh, and they could not be 

 shipped a great distance in the best condition. 



Richard Stolley, Hall county. — In reading the farm 

 papers I see many articles about seeding alfalfa, but have 

 failed to see anything in the line of advice regarding a 

 sure way to kill it, if it has to be done. We have had 



