148 



ALFALFA 



as much seed as when the cereal crop is sown alone. When 

 alfalfa is sown with a nurse crop, the time of seeding should 

 be governed by the best time for the cereal. The seeding 

 can be done with one operation provided a drill or seeder 

 is used with a grass seeder attachment. It is preferable 

 to let the alfalfa seed scatter broad- 

 cast and to run a slant-tooth harrow 

 over the ground once after seeding. 

 Some good seedings have been ob- 

 tained when the seed was run through 

 the drill, but the tendency is to cover 

 too deeply when this practice is fol- 

 lowed. If the season is extremely 

 dry, it is best to cut the nurse crop 

 early for hay and thereby give the 

 alfalfa a better opportunity to grow. 

 If the season is not too dry, the cereal 

 crop can be left to ripen, and can 

 be harvested in the usual manner. 

 Many good stands of alfalfa have 

 been secured in this way. 



Other Methods of Seeding. If 

 the land is mellow and conditions are 

 favorable for the growth of alfalfa, a 

 stand can be obtained by sowing the 

 seed early in the spring on land that 

 is growing fall rye. When the land is 

 extremely weedy, it is advisable to summer fallow and sow 

 alfalfa the first week in August. The moisture conserved 

 makes the alfalfa seed sprout rapidly, and the plants reach 

 sufficient height for winter protection. Often where early 

 peas or potatoes have been grown, the land can be put into 



Fig. 8 1. Alfalfa plant 

 blossom. 



