122 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



for phosphorus and potash, and feed the alfalfa meadow 

 every year. Onr standard topdressing in Ohio is of acid 

 phosphate or basic slag 500 pounds, and of muriate of potash 

 100 pounds per acre. Thus fed it keeps in strong growth 

 for five to ten years at least. When June grass runs into 

 the alfalfa, take a spring-tooth harrow and dig it out. Go 

 over the land in two directions and tear out the last root of 

 the grass. Bucher & Gibbs, Canton, O., make a special al- 

 falfa spring-tooth harrow that will take out any sort of grass 

 and leave the alfalfa unharmed. This is best done just after 

 taking off a crop of hay, immediately after the hay is raked. 

 The harrowing will not harm the alfalfa; will do it good, 

 in fact. 



Now let's go back to the lime question, seeing that it is the 

 key to alfalfa growing in Massachusetts. I like to use the 

 unburned ground limestone. It is the cheapest and best 

 source of lime for the soil, if one is so situated that he can 

 get it. Happily, a beginning has been made in limestone 

 grinding in your State. There cannot be a farm in Massa- 

 chusetts that does not need a full carload of limestone. Buy 

 it in bulk and get it in car lots at the low price, then use it 

 liberally. I prefer to use as much as 8 tons to the acre of 

 raw ground limestone or marble dust. Of course there are 

 cases where this would be too costly, and less must be used 

 at the start. Then additional lime can be applied later and 

 worked in with the spring-tooth harrow. Of burned lime I 

 would use from 2 tons up to the acre. There are localities 

 where burned lime is the cheaper source of calcium. Ground 

 limestone has, however, the better effect on alfalfa. 



As to the probable profits. Any acre of land in Massa- 

 chusetts that is tillable and drained can profitably be set to 

 alfalfa. The cost for lime, fertilizers, manure, seed and 

 labor may be as much as $50, or even more. The cost of 

 lime and manure are the determining factors. The first 

 year one gets two cuttings, supposing he sows in April. The 

 first cutting is of barley hay, say 1^/2 tons to the acre. Later 

 he gets a cutting of pure alfalfa hay, of about 1 ton to the 

 acre. Xext year he gets three cuttings, one of about 2 tons, 

 one of iy2 tons, one of 1 ton, or from 4 to 414 tons per acre. 



