INTRODUCTION. 41 



we do not expect quite so good corn as 

 we had when we grew it on alfalfa sod. As 

 before, clean cultivation is given. We are especially- 

 careful to destroy all fox-tail grass before it seeds. 



This land is now to be sown to alfalfa. If it needs 

 lime that is applied as convenience suggests, when- 

 ever the teams are idle and the land is hard enough 

 to drive on. We use finely ground raw limestone 

 rock, not burned. We use about 4 tons to the acre 

 of this. It cost us only $1.25 per ton on cars. The 

 land is plowed as deep as the plows will run, making 

 the furrows narrow. We would plow 24" deep if we 

 could do so. Some day no doubt we will begin sub- 

 soil work, and expect that to pay well. We like to 

 do this plowing a month or more before time to seed 

 alfalfa, so that the earth may settle well together 

 again. In April we disk and prepare the land with 

 some care, but not attempting to make any "ash 

 heap" or "onion bed," as some advise, only a little 

 better seedbed than one would make for corn. 

 About April 10 we begin drilling. We use a fertil- 

 izer drill that sows fertilizer, beardless spring 

 barley and alfalfa seed. Of barley we sow 2 bushels 

 to the acre ; of alfalfa seed, 15 to 20 lbs. ; of fertilizer 

 (usually plain acid phosphate, sometimes bone meal) 

 we use 300 to 500 lbs. per acre. We think it prob- 

 able that the more we enrich the land the greater our 

 profit is. We let the alfalfa seed fall in front of the 

 drill sometimes, at other times behind the drill, ac- 

 cording to the condition of the soil. If moist we do 

 not roll but follow the drill with a plank drag. If 



