22 ALFALFA 



or eighteen inches. After the water has sufficiently 

 soaked in so that the soil can be properly worked, two 

 inches of the surface should be thoroughly loosened 

 by harrowing or otherwise, to provide a ' mulch for 

 protecting the moisture. 



TIME OF SEEDING 



The seed should be sown at such a time as to give 

 the young plants the longest and most favorable season 

 in which to grow, so they may be better able to with- 

 stand any unfavorable conditions that follow. The 

 alfalfa plant is one of the very weakest during its early 

 life; it is not capable of maintaining itself among a 

 growth of even the least vigorous weeds at the 

 beginning. Cold rains in early spring are detrimental, 

 and slight frost is death to the very young plant, 

 which is in striking contrast with its effects upon the 

 older and well-established growth. 



Spring sowing should not be done until the season 

 is well advanced and there is no danger of a cold, wet 

 period, or of frosts. The land to be seeded in the 

 spring should not be plowed unless proper implements 

 are at hand for thoroughly settling the ground again, 

 but should be cultivated shallow at frequent intervals, 

 and especially as soon as suitable after every rain. 

 When the proper time, as indicated, comes for seed- 

 ing, should the ground be too dry or in any way 

 unsuitable, the seed had better be saved. If the 

 spring conditions do not become satisfactory, some such 

 quick-maturing crop as millet, or, better, early peas 

 or beans, may be grown on the land and removed in 

 time for fall sowing. The lighter the crop grown on 

 land before fall seeding the better, as there is then 



