ALFALFA 173 



plete the curing. If the cocks require opening out 

 before being drawn, the work should be done with 

 care. Ordinary stacking and storing may be done 

 in practically the same way as in handling medium 

 red clover, and the same care is necessary in pro- 

 tecting the stacks. In areas where considerable 

 rain falls in the autumn, hay sheds will prove 

 a great convenience in storing alfalfa in the 

 absence of better facilities. In the Eastern States 

 alfalfa is sometimes stored in mows undercured, by 

 putting it into the mow in alternate layers with 

 straw. The straw not only aids in preserving the 

 alfalfa in good condition, but the alfalfa imparts 

 an aroma to the straw which induces live stock to 

 eat it readily. In showery weather this method of 

 curing alfalfa merits careful attention where straw 

 can be had near at hand and in sufficient quantities. 



The method is sometimes adopted of cutting al- 

 falfa even for hay by using the self-rake reaper. 

 The sheaves thus made are allowed to lie on the 

 ground undisturbed until they are ready for being 

 drawn. By this method of cutting, the loss of leaves 

 is almost entirely avoided, but there are these ob- 

 jections to it: that it exposes unduly to sunlight 

 during the curing process, and in case of rain the 

 sheaves are easily saturated and do not dry readily 

 unless turned over. 



Rain falling on alfalfa will injure it quite as much 

 as it does red clover. (See page 96.) In climates 

 with much rainfall in May or June, when the first 

 cutting of alfalfa is ready for being harvested, ac- 

 cording to locality, in instances not a few much diffi- 



