88 How THE FARM PAYS. 



The soil best suited for the growth of Alfalfa is that which is deep 

 and sandy; hence the soil of Florida and many other portions of the 

 cotton belt is eminently fitted. The plant makes a tap root with few 

 laterals, and its roots are often found at a depth of six to eight feet, 

 thus drawing food from depths entirely beyond the action of drought 

 or heat. When Alfalfa is to be grown "on a large scale, to get at the 

 best results, the ground chosen should be high and level, or if not 

 high, such as is entirely free from under water. Drainage must be 

 as near perfect as possible either naturally or artificially. This in 

 fact is a primary necessity for every crop unless it be such as is 

 aquatic or sub-aquatic. 



Deep plowing, thorough harrowing and leveling with that valuable 

 implement, the ' ' smoothing harrow, " to get a smooth and level sur- 

 face, are the next operations. This should be done in the Southern 

 States from 1st to 20th October or at such season in the fall as 

 would be soon enough to ensure a growth of four or five inches 

 before the season of growth stops. Draw out lines on the prepared 

 land twenty inches apart (if for horse culture, but if for hand culture 

 fourteen inches), and two or three inches deep. These lines are best 

 made by what market gardeners call a ' ' marker, " which is made by 

 nailing six tooth-shaped pickets six or eight inches long at the required 

 distance apart to a three by four inch joist, to which a handle is 

 attached which makes the marker or drag. The first tooth is set 

 against a garden line drawn tight across the field, the marker is 

 dragged backwards by the workman, each tooth marking a line ; thus 

 the six teeth mark six lines, if the line is set each time; but it is best 

 to place the end tooth of the marker in a line already made, so that 

 in this way only five lines are marked at once, but it is quicker to do 

 this than move the line. The lines being marked out, the seed is sown 

 by hand or by seed-drill, at the rate of eight to twelve pounds per acre. 

 After sowing and this rule applies to all seeds, if sown by hand the 

 seed must be trodden in by walking on the lines, so as to press the 

 seed down into the drills. After treading in, the ground must be 

 leveled by raking with a wooden or steel rake along the lines length- 

 ways not across. That done, it would be advantageous to use a 

 roller over the land, so as to smooth the surface and further firm the 

 seed, but this is not indispensable. When seeds are drilled in by 

 machine, the wheel presses down the soil on the seed, so that treading 

 in with the feet is not necessary. After the seeds germinate so as to 

 show the rows, which will be in from two to four weeks, according to the 

 weather, the ground must be hoed between, and this is best done by 

 some light wheel-hoe, if by hand, such as the " Planet, Jr. " On light 

 sandy soil, such as in Florida, a man could with ease run over two or 



