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BULLETIN 10, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



A winter irrigation applied to checks 35, 36, and 37 produced a 

 marked improvement in the stand which was carried over into the 

 following season, producing much heavier yields. For this reason 

 they were treated separately, the following schedule being used : 



Schedule of irrigation of alfalfa, 1910 and 1911. 



Number of plat. 



Area. 



Season of 1910. 



Season of 1911. 



35 



36. _ 



Acres. 

 0.50 



.50 



.50 



24 inches applied, 12 inches after first; 6 

 inches after second and third cuttings. 



30 inches applied; 12 inches after first; 6 

 inches after second, third, and fourth cut- 

 tings. 



30 inches applied; 12. inches after first; 6 

 inches after second, third, and fourth cut- 

 tings. 



24 inches applied; 12 inches 

 after first; 6 inches after sec- 

 ond and third cuttings. 



24 inches applied; 8 inches 

 after second, third, and 

 fourth cuttings. 



37 





after first, second, third, 

 and fourth cuttings. 



This work was continued during the season of 1912 but on a re- 

 duced area, rectangular checks 17 to 31 being devoted to the work. 

 Application of equal amounts of water to these checks during 1910 

 and 1911 had produced a very uniform stand over the whole area, and 

 the experiments were started in 1912 under very favorable conditions. 

 Following is the schedule outlined and followed during the season : 



Schedule of irrigation of alfalfa, 1912. 



Number 

 of plat. 



Area. 



Depth of 



water 

 applied. 



Schedule. 



17,30 



Acres. 

 0.46 

 .46 

 .46 

 .46 

 .46 

 .46 

 .50 

 .23 



Inches. 



No irrigation. 



18,29 

 19,28 

 20-27 

 21-26 

 22-25 

 23-24 

 31 



12 

 18 

 24 

 30 

 36 

 48 

 60 



6 inches after first and second cuttings. 



6 inches after first, second, and third cuttings. 



6 inches after first, second, third, and fourth cuttings. 



1\ inches after first, second, third, and fourth cuttings. 



9 inches after first, second, third, and fourth cuttings. 



12 inches after first, second, third, and fourth cuttings. 



12 inches after first, second, third, fourth, and fifth cuttings. 



During each of the three seasons six crops of hay were cut. In 

 harvesting, the general practice of cutting when about one-third of 

 the alfalfa is in bloom was followed. The hay was generally raked 

 the same day, shocked the day following, and hauled as soon as it 

 was dry enough to be stacked without heating, never waiting until 

 the leaves were dry enough to fall off when handled. The results 

 of these experiments are given in the table following. 



