HAMPSHIRE COUNTY FARMERS' MONTHLY 



Alfalfa FielilK ViMited 



^Vtntinuod from p;ig:f 1, column 1 



Professor Abbott Explains 

 Alfalfa Needs 



Professor J. B. Abbott of M. A. C. 

 then demonstrated the "Soiltex" method 

 of determining the amount of lime needed 

 to succeed with alfalfa. Samples of the 

 two alfalfa plots were taken and, after 

 three years, both gave a green reaction 

 which means plenty of lime is present. 

 A sample taken in the lane outside of the 

 alfalfa piece gave an orange color, show- 

 ing a need of more than 2 tons of lime- 

 stone per acre to bring it up to the same 

 point as the soil in the field where the 

 alfalfa was growing. Other soil samples 

 brought in, with one exception, gave an 

 orange reaction. The other sample was 

 from a field which had received one ton 

 of lime per acre last year. This gave a 

 yellowi.sh green color when tested, show- 

 ing that another ton of lime per acre was 

 needed before alfalfa could be success- 

 fully grown. 



Prof. Abbott stated that with this test 

 we absolutely could give a "prescription" 

 for lime requirements. In the past, the 

 recommendations have been to use 1 ton 

 of lime per acre. In some cases this was 

 right; in others, not. In addition to lime 

 he said alfalfa needs: (1) A well drained 

 soil. Alfalfa does not do well on wet 

 land. (2) Proper inoculation. This may 

 be obtained either by using soil from a 

 good alfalfa field or by using commercial 

 cultures. (3) Sample Fertility. Manure 

 should be supplimented with liOO pounds 

 of acid phosphate per acre. (4) A fine 

 seed bed. 



Mr. Bagg had supplied all of these 

 needs so the success he is having with 

 alfalfa is not just luck. After plowing 

 and discing in the manure, acid phosphate 

 and lime, Mr. Bagg rolled the piece and 

 then worked the top soil lightly for two 

 weeks with the spike tooth harrow. He 

 inoculated the seed with the soil and glue 

 method, as follows: Dissolve a handful 

 of flake glue in 1 pint of water, using a 

 double boiler. Then a little over a cupful 

 of this mixture was poured into a bushel 

 of alfalfa seed and the whole mass stirred 

 so as to moisten every seed. Then about 

 4 quarts of soil from an alfalfa field was 

 passed through a window screen and 

 stirred into the moistened seed so as to 

 <;oat each seed. Inoculation was about 

 perfect. 



Alfalfa and Witch Grass 



On another field, sown in 1922, there 

 was a combination of Alfalfa and Witch 

 Grass. At first sight, it looked like a 

 perfect stand of W-tch Grass. On closer 

 inspection, it could be seen that the alfal- 

 fa was nearly as tall as the grass and had 

 a fine color. Mr. Bagg stated that after 

 the first cutting last year he was tempted 

 to plow the field up, but the second and 



third crops were nearly clear alfalfa. A 



soil test on this plot also gave a green 

 color, showing plenty of lime had been 

 applied. A third piece, where alfalfa 

 was .seeded last year on a sand knoll, was 

 then seen. Mr. Bagg stated that while 

 it did not look as good as the other pieces, 

 it was the first time he had ever had any- 

 thing resembling a hay crop on that field. 

 It surprised many of those present that 

 a soil test on this field showed yellow, 

 which means a need of 1^^ tons of lime- 

 stone per acre for alfalfa. This light 

 land i-eceived a ton of lime per acre la.st 

 year before seeding. 



As a result of this meeting, five men 

 signified their intentions of putting in one 

 or more acres of alfalfa this summer. 

 Mr. Bagg is plowing up a two-acre field 

 after the hay crop is harvested and is 

 planning to seed this with alfalfa in 

 August. 



Southampton Trip 



Eighteen men gathered at M. 3. Mad- 

 sen's farm in Southampton, Friday eve- 

 ning, .June 1.3 at 7:30 P. M. to visit alfal- 

 fa fields in the town. At Mr. Madsen's, 

 a field seeded with a combination of Al- 

 falfa, Red Clover and Timothy was seen. 

 Here the Timothy dominated the alfalfa 

 and clover. Soil .samples were taken and 

 tested. These gave a yellow reaction, 

 showing that at least li tons of limestone 

 per acre were needed to bring the soil to 

 the proper point for alfalfa. 



The next stop was at W. A. Parsons' 

 alfalfa field. Here part of the field looked 

 very good, while another part .showed 

 yellow. Soil tests here pointed to a need 

 of IJL tons of lime per acre, although a 

 ton was applied last year before seeding. 

 Prof. Abbott explained that, in the past, 

 the common belief was that light lands 

 did not need lime as badly as heavier 

 soils. He stated that the heavier soils, 

 when well drained, needed less lime to 

 correct acidity than light lands. 



Wood Ashes Helped Alfalfa 



At Leon Fowles' farm, several plots of 

 alfalfa were inspected. One piece sown 

 last year showed no gi-een color in the 

 leaves. The soil te.st showed the need of 

 2 tons of limestone per acre, even though 

 1 ton per acre was used. There was one 

 part of another alfalfa field that looked 

 the way alfalfa should. Samples of soil 

 from this plot gave a green reaction when 

 tested. Mr. Fowles explained' that all of 

 the wood ashes from the house were put 

 on this plot. They certainly did the 

 trick: 



Ed. Searle Has Fine Field 



At Edward Searle's there is a five acre 

 block of orchard where alfalfa is grown 

 between the trees. Here the crop was 

 more than knee high and had a dark 

 green color. Mr. Searle stated that he 



had had alfalfa on this piece before and 

 so did not have to inoculate the seed two 

 years ago when he seeded down. On the 

 lower side of the orchard there was one 

 strip where the alfalfa was yellow and 

 only half as high as on the rest of the 

 piece. A soil test of this strip showed 

 a need of two tons of limestone per acre. 

 A sample from the good part of the field 

 showed there was plenty of lime. Last 

 year a part of the pasture was cleared 

 up and apple trees planted there. Mr. 

 Searle plans to seed this to alfalfa. A 

 soil test of this field also showed a need 

 of two tons per acre. 



The method of seeding used most com- 

 monly in Southampton is to sow in the 

 corn. Mr. Searle's piece was seeded this 

 way. Prof. Abbott pointed out that seed 

 bed conditions were ideal for alfalfa when 

 this method is used, as the ground is 

 loose in the top inch or two of soil and 

 firm below. He stated that, in using this 

 method of seeding, best results were ob- 

 tained where the alfalfa was sown at the 

 time the corn was knee high. 



ALFALFA MUST HAVE 



1. Well Drained Soil 



2. Sufficient Lime 



Don't Guess! Send soil 

 to the County Agent to be 

 tested FREE. 



3. Ample Fertility 



Suppliment Manure with 

 500 pounds acid phosphate 

 per acre. 



4. Proper Inoculation 



Cultures may be obtained 

 by sending twenty-five 

 cents to the Mass. Agri- 

 cultural College, Amherst, 

 Mass. 



o. A Firm Seed Bed 



Plow; disc in manure, acid 

 phosphate and lime; roll; 

 then only use the spike 

 tooth harrow lightly once 

 a week for two weeks or 

 more before seeding. 



(j. Sow as Early in August as 

 Possible 



The County Agent is will- 

 ing to help you start right. 



OPTIMISTIC ABOUT N. E. 



AGRICULTURE 



David I. Friday, former president of 

 the Michigan Agricultural College and 

 now professor of political economy at the 

 Continued on page 8, column 1 



