TIME OF SEEDING 2» 



more likelihood of there being a large store of moisture 

 in the soil. It is even advisable to summer-fallow. 

 This cleans the ground of weeds and puts it in the best 

 possible tilth. 



Fall seeding is advisable where grass and weeds are 

 likely to badly choke the young plants, a probability 

 in nearly all sedlions where the rainfall is quite heavy. 

 Fall seeding should be done after the rains have come 

 and the ground is in good condition. If this time does 

 not come early enough, so there is yet a growing 

 season sufficient for the alfalfa to make good growth 

 of six to eight inches before cold weather, the seeding 

 had better be deferred. Severe winters are likely to be 

 disastrous to young, late-sown alfalfa, and for this 

 reason fall seeding is not as advisable for northern as 

 for more southern sedlions. 



The question of time of seeding is a very broad 

 one, yet it is a fadl that there is not a month in the 

 year when there have not been successful seedings of 

 alfalfa in the United States. Even in Kansas and Colo- 

 rado the range of time of seeding is nearly as great. 

 The would-be grower must count the difficulties most 

 liable to thwart his efforts, and use his own judgment 

 as applied to his individual case. To recapitulate, if 

 the soil is in condition in the spring, and there is not 

 liable to be too long a dry period during the summer, 

 when a few weeds only would be likely to materially 

 injure the young plants, and especially if the winters 

 are severe, spring sowing would be preferable. But if 

 the weeds are sure to be rampant, and there is a suffi- 

 ciently long growing period after the ground has been 

 brought into proper condition by late summer or early 

 fall rains to enable the alfalfa to get large enough to 



