90 How THE FARM PAYS. 



three acres per day. The labor entailed in this method of 

 sowing Alfalfa in drills is somewhat greater than when sown 

 broadcast in the usual way of grasses and clover, but there 

 is no question that it is by far the best and most profitable 

 plan, for it must be remembered that the plant is a hardy perennial, 

 and is good for a crop for eight to ten years. Moreover, the sowing in 

 drills admits of the crop being easily fertilized, if it is found necessary 

 to do so; as all that is necessary, is to sow bone dust, superphos- 

 phates, or other concentrated fertilizer between the rows, and then stir 

 it into the soil by the use of the wheel-hoe. In the ground of Mr. 

 Bronson, of St. Augustine, Florida, he found that the seed sown in 

 the middle of October gave him a crop fit to cut in three months 

 after sowing, and three heavy crops after, during the same year; 

 and I have little doubt that in that climate and soil, so congenial to 

 its growth, six heavy green crops could be cut annually, after the 

 plant is fairly established, if a moderate amount of fertilizer was 

 used, say 300 pounds of superphosphate or bone dust to the acre- 

 Mr. William Crozier, of Northport, L. I., one of the best known 

 farmers and stock breeders in the vicinity of New York, says 

 that he has long considered Alfalfa one of the best forage crops. 

 He uses it always to feed his milch cows and breeding ewes, particu- 

 larly in preparing them for exhibition at fairs, where he is known to 

 be a most successful competitor, and always takes along sufficient 

 Alfalfa hay to feed them on while there. Mr. Crozier's system of 

 culture is broadcast, and he uses some fifteen or sixteen pounds of 

 seed to the acre, but his land is unusually clean and in a high state of 

 cultivation, which enables him to adopt the broadcast plan; but 

 on the average land it will be found that the plan of sowing in drills 

 would be the best. 



Mr. Crozier's crop, the second year, averaged eighteen tons green 

 to the acre, and about six tons when dried as hay. For his section 

 the latitude of New York he finds the best date of sowing is first 

 week in May, and a good cutting can be had in September. The 

 next season a full crop is obtained, when it is cut, if green, three or 

 four times. If to be used for hay, it is cut in the condition of ordinary 

 red clover in blossom; it then makes after that two green crops if 

 cut; sometimes the last one instead of being cut is fed on the ground 

 by sheep or cattle. 



Mr. E. M. Sargent, Macon, Ga., writing to me under date 

 March 6th, 1883, says : "I consider Alfalfa to be the most valuable 

 forage plant that can be used in this section of the country that is, 

 the entire cotton belt, or north of it if the land is sandy without a 

 clay subsoil too near the surface. Planters are just beginning to 



