FARM MAXAGEMENT IX LEXAWEE COUXTY, MICH. 



29 



are that this crop is graduaUy assuming a permanent place in the 

 cropping S3'stems of the section and as a rule it is not assuming undue 

 prominence or interfering with the proper handling of the remainder 

 of the farm crops. (See fig. 8.) 



A reasonable acreage of alfalfa is very desirable on most farms of 

 this section, but too great an acreage is not easily managed. One of 

 the most important factors in determining a desirable > acreage of 

 alfalfa on a given farm is the labor schedule. The records taken in 

 this area show that the average dates of harvesting the first cutting 



Fig. 8. — A good stand of alfalla. Lenawee Cuuiity, Mich. 



of alfalfa is from June 4 to 1 1 . The early and more critical stages of 

 the cultivation of corn come at the same time. As the acreage of 

 ahaJfa is increased the interference with the proper cultivation of 

 the corn crop increases. Thus the corn crop becomes very largely 

 the determining factor as to how gTeat the acreage of alfalfa shall be. 

 If the acreage in alfalfa is increased beyond moderate proportions, it 

 will become advisable to reduce the acreage of corn accordingly, or 

 means must be devised for securing extra labor to take care of the 

 work at the time of the first cutting. It is the first cutting that is 

 the greatest factor in this connection, as there is but Httle conflict in 

 the labor of other crops when the second and third cuttings of alfalfa 

 are done. On only two of the farms studied has aKalfa been made 

 the dominating feature of the farm system. These have been dis- 

 cussed at some length on page 17 under "Special farms." 



