SUMMARY OF ALFALFA SOWING. 485 



and pushes the alfalfa on fast and makes a strong 

 root to withstand winter. The oncoming winter is 

 the bugbear, so get the roots so big and strong that 

 the frost cannot lift them out. The money invested 

 in the fertilization, provided the soil is not quite 

 rich, will be generously repaid over the next season. 



Fifth, do not disturb the young alfalfa. Do not 

 clip it nor pasture it this year. Carefully exclude 

 animals in winter. Let no foot fall on it before the 

 middle of the following May. 



Previous Treatment for Midsummer Seeding. 

 The land may be enriched and planted to early po- 

 tatoes, these kept well cultivated, dug early, and the 

 land at once made ready for alfalfa. Great care 

 must be taken to work it so thoroughly that no 

 moisture is lost. It may be a wheat stubble. In this 

 instance, as soon as possible get the wheat off ; run 

 the manure spreader over the field; plow at once, 

 harrowing each day what is plowed that day, and 

 work it down soon to a hard firm moist seedbed. 

 The field may be enriched, sown to spring barley, 

 which will be cut off for hay, then plowed again and 

 made ready for alfalfa. The field may be dedicated 

 to alfalfa from the first, plowed in the spring, kept 

 harrowed all through May, June and the first half 

 of July, and then the alfalfa sown. 



Any one of these treatments will likely give suc- 

 cess. The practical objection is that when nothing 

 is sown upon the land it is a costly way of getting a 

 stand. When the alfalfa follows a grain crop there 

 is no loss of the land, but fear lest the soil moisture 



