174 CLOVERS 



culty is found in curing alfalfa without loss. Some- 

 times the entire cutting will be rendered practically 

 useless by rain. Because of this, as previously in- 

 timated, it may be well to arrange, where practicable, 

 to cut the first crop of the season for soiling food. 



The number of cuttings during the year depends 

 on such conditions as relate to the length of the 

 season, the character of the soil, the abundance of 

 moisture present, and the use to which the alfalfa 

 is put. In some of the river bottoms southward in 

 the Rocky Mountains, where irrigating waters are 

 plentiful, it is claimed that alfalfa may be made to 

 furnish one cutting for soiling food every month 

 in the year. Even in the Northern western valleys, 

 as many as five or six cuttings for the use named 

 may be obtained. North from the Ohio and Poto- 

 mac rivers three to five cuttings of soiling food may 

 be looked for each season, and south of these rivers 

 even a larger number. North of the same rivers 

 the hay crops run from two to four, and southward 

 from the same they are seldom less than three. In 

 the western valleys they range from three to five 

 or six, according to location. In States bordering 

 on the semi-arid States eastward and some distance 

 south of the Canadian boundary, from three to four 

 cuttings may usually be expected. In Colorado and 

 States north and south from the same, two good 

 crops of alfalfa may be cut from spring-sown seed 

 the same season, but where irrigation is not prac j 

 ticed it is seldom that one crop of hay is harvested 

 under similar conditions of sowing. But in the 

 semi-arid belt not more than one cutting is usually 



