266 



SUCCESSFUL FARMING 



can be made with the minimum amount of labor. In the eastern half of 

 the country rains are prevalent, especially at the time of the first cutting. 

 This calls for special precautions and often necessitates extra labor and the 

 use of canvas covers to secure hay without serious injury. 



It is advised to cut in the evening and early morning, and follow the 

 mower with the tedder before any of the leaves become dry. The second 

 teddering at right angles to the first is advised if the alfalfa is heavy. 

 With favorable weather it may be possible to put the alfalfa in the windrow 

 toward evening of the first day. One more day's exposure in the windrow 

 under favorable conditions will generally cure it sufficiently to go directly 



to stack or mow. 

 This reduces handling 

 to the minimum and 

 prevents loss by 

 shattering. 



If weather condi- 

 tions are threatening, 

 it will be best to put 

 into moderate-sized 

 shocks at the close of 

 the first day, and 

 cover with canvas to 

 protect from rains. 

 It requires from three 

 to seven days to cure 

 in the shock, depend- 

 ing on weather condi- 

 tions. 



A little more than 

 two-fifths of alfalfa hay is leaves and about three-fifths stems. The 

 leaves, however, contain fully three-fifths of the protein. It is, therefore, 

 advisable to save the leaves as fully as possible. Do not rake or tedder 

 alfalfa in the middle of the day if dry. This is sure to shatter the leaves 

 and cause serious loss. 



Number of Cuttings and Yield. — Alfalfa is a remarkable hay and forage 

 plant because of its long life and the frequency with which it may be cut 

 every year. The number of cuttings varies with the locality and ranges 

 from two or three cuttings in the provinces of Canada and the northern tier 

 of states to as many as ten or eleven cuttings annually in the Imperial Valley 

 in California. In the warmer portions of Texas seven or eight cuttings 

 are not uncommon. In most parts of the country, a second crop may be 

 harvested within from thirty to forty days after the first cutting. In warm 

 regions where the growing season is long, cuttings during this season may 

 be made about every five weeks. 



1 Courtesy of The Pennsylvania Farmer. 



Curing Alfalfa Hay in Shocks. 1 



