158 AtPAtFA 



underlaid with a hard or impervious subsoil. Gener- 

 ally it does not do well above 7,000 feet altitude, though 

 in sheltered localities in Carbon County it is reported 

 as thriving at this altitude, and produces two crops. 

 On the lyaramie Experiment Farm, situated at about 

 7,200 feet altitude, it made a good stand and lived 

 through the winter, but the plants did not look 

 thrifty and made little growth. Dodder appeared in 

 the second year and all was plowed up. 



' ' Irrigation seems to be necessary to make alfalfa 

 reach its best development. We cannot recommend it 

 for general cultivation in this state where irrigation 

 cannot be applied, though when once established it 

 takes a great deal of drouth to kill it. It requires 

 considerable moisture to germinate the seeds and keep 

 the plants growing the first year. For hay, twenty or 

 twenty-five pounds of seed to the acre is required, but 

 if planted for the production of seed, half this quan- 

 tity is sufficient. Sowing oats with the seed is recom- 

 mended, as they shade and protect the young plants. 



' ' The general rule for harvesting all hay crops is 

 to cut thein at the time of blossoming or soon after. 

 It is probable that the time to cut alfalfa to obtain the 

 most nutritious hay is when it is budded and just be- 

 fore blossoming. This was determined by both chem- 

 ical analysis and feeding experiment at the Colorado 

 station. ' ' 



M. R. Johnston, superintendent of the Wheatland 

 Experiment Farm, in writing of alfalfa, says: "June 

 20, 1891, one acre on the experiment farm was planted 

 to alfalfa, twenty-four pounds of seed being used. 

 As the weather was hot and dry the seed did not ger- 

 minate, and it was irrigated to bring the plants up. 



