ALFALFA 143 



seed-bed be. The deeper the land is plowed, there- 

 fore, the longer should be the interval before it is 

 sowed, but ample rainfall will shorten this period. 

 Firmness in the seed-bed is more important, rela- 

 tively, in summer or early autumn when evapora- 

 tion from the surface soil is the most rapid. On 

 some soils of the Middle States which border on 

 the Mississippi, the early sown autumn crop will 

 sometimes perish after the plants have grown some 

 distance above the ground, because of want of firm- 

 ness in the soil ; hence, in such locations harrowing 

 the surface of the ground thoroughly may some- 

 times be a more suitable preparation than plowing 

 and harrowing. 



Friability in the seed-bed is important when the 

 soils are heavy. The influences which promote it 

 are the presence of humus, liberal cultivation, and 

 sometimes weather influences, as rain and frost. 

 Unless heavy clay soils are brought into this condi- 

 tion, the roots of the alfalfa will not be able to pene- 

 trate the soil quickly enough or deeply enough in 

 search of food. 



As has been intimated, it will not avail to sow 

 alfalfa in soils not sufficiently drained naturally or 

 otherwise. Usually, good alfalfa soils have suffi- 

 cient drainage naturally, the subsoil being suf- 

 ficiently open to admit of the percolation of water 

 down into the subsoil with sufficient quickness. But 

 good crops of alfalfa may be grown on subsoils so 

 retentive that underdrainage is necessary to facilitate 

 the escape of an excess of moisture with sufficient 

 quickness. The question has been raised as to 



