144 CLOVERS 



whether the foots of the plants will be ttiuch liable 

 to enter and choke the drains at the joints between 

 the tiles. While it would not be safe to say that 

 this would never happen, it is not likely to happen, 

 owing to the character of the root growth. Where 

 too much water is held near the surface, in climates 

 characterized by alternate freezing and thawing in 

 winter, the young plants will certainly be thrown 

 out through the heaving of the soil. 



The subsoiling of lands not sufficiently open be- 

 low will be greatly helpful to the growth of alfalfa. 

 This may also be true of lands not over-retentive 

 naturally, but made so by the treading of the animals 

 for successive years on the soil under the furrow 

 when plowing the land. In some conditions, with- 

 out subsoiling thus, the growing of alfalfa will not 

 be successful, but in doing this work, care should 

 be taken not to bring up raw subsoil to the surface. 

 In subsoiling for alfalfa, usually the more deeply the 

 ground can be stirred by the subsoiler, the better 

 will be the results that will follow. Subsoiling is 

 particularly helpful to the growing of alfalfa on 

 many of the clay soils of the South. 



In the far West, toward the mountains, and prob- 

 ably within the same, are areas in which excellent 

 stands of alfalfa may be obtained by simply sowing 

 the seed on surfaces stirred with a disk or with a 

 heavy harrow weighted while it is being driven over 

 the land. The implements shquld be driven first one 

 way and then the other, and, of course, the seed is 

 harrowed after it has been sown. Where the soil is 

 sufficiently level, this plan of preparing will prove 



