422 ALFALFA FARMING IN AMERICA. 



of the Colorado experiment station gives his ex- 

 perience thus in "The Rural New Yorker ": 



The attempt to break alfalfa with the ordinary plow is usually 

 a miserable failure, as it is not suited to the work. A very suc- 

 cessful alfalfa plow can be made by adjusting and making a few 

 changes in the regular sod plow or prairie breaker. The essen- 

 tial points to consider are: The long strong beam to steady the 

 plow; the long landside to resist the tremendous cutting strain. 

 It is often necessary to reinforce the beam with heavy iron to 

 withstand the draft. The plow should be adjusted to cut a very 

 narrow furrow, not over 12 inches; an extra long share to lap 

 part of the last furrow to prevent the roots near the heel from 

 whipping around, only partly cut off. This can also be prevented 

 by a horizontal cutter bolted to the bottom of the landside, thus 

 partly cutting the roots in the next furrow; this cutter is 

 forged with a right-angle shoulder that fits and fastens with the 

 bolt through the short landslide. 



The next essential is a very sharp share, drawn thin and har- 

 dened so that it will not be brittle. A sharp share should be 

 replaced each day and a good file is necessary to touch up the 

 edge once in a while. Breaking alfalfa on stony land is very 

 difficult, and is extremely hard on plow shares. The most es- 

 sential point in an alfalfa breaker is a long, heavy, well-pointed 

 share with a very wide wing six or eight inches at the heel, and 

 1% to two inches of the edge rolled so as to run almost flat on 

 the bottom of the furrow, thus cutting ahead of the lift and 

 avoiding a dragging cut. The standard plow factories are mak- 

 ing for the western farmer alfalfa specials with extra alfalfa 

 shares; these are chiefly in sulky plows, but where it is not 

 practical to afford such a plow the walking breaker can be fitted 

 and adjusted to do excellent work, though it is somewhat harder 

 for the man that holds the plow. Alfalfa breaking usually re- 

 quires three to four good heavy horses for a team. 



The depth and time to plow alfalfa are somewhat mooted ques- 

 tions. They vary with conditions. It is usually conceded that 

 fall breaking is a success, but in Colorado, alfalfa is generally 

 plowed shallow, four to five inches deep, so that the roots and 

 crowns may be well harrowed to the surface to dry out. It is 

 then replowed one or two inches deeper than it was broken. 

 Alfalfa when dormant, if plowed under in moist soil, will readily 

 take root and grow if not harrowed out. Many farmers are hav- 

 ing better success in breaking alfalfa late in the spring, after the 

 alfalfa is 10 or 12 inches high, plowing under the green manure. 



