GETTING A STAND OF ALFALFA. 



"When this is read it may be forgotten that the 

 writer for many years has been a contributor to 

 "The Beebdee's Gazette/' an American agricul- 

 tural newspaper. In his work for The Gazette he 

 has answered hundreds of alfalfa inquiries. Some 

 of these have been put in such a way that they re- 

 vealed an intelligent knowledge of the subject in the 

 inquirers, but very many of these questions are mad- 

 dening in the fact that they show so plainly that 

 the seeker for information has almost no knowledge 

 of his own soil or of any fundamental principles 

 governing soil fertility or plant growth. For ex- 

 ample, here is a sample question; many like it are 

 received every season: "I wish to sow some alfalfa. 

 My land is lightly rolling and slopes to the west. It 

 was sown in oats in 1906, Vas in corn in 1907." 



Simply that and nothing more! What an index 

 of the state of agriculture in the United States in 

 this year of grace 1909! Growing alfalfa is not a 

 question of seed or sowing. Sow almost any sort of 

 alfalfa seed, sow at any time of moon or in almost 

 any sort of way and you will succeed, if — ^here is the 

 fatal "if" — your soil is right. Sow with the great- 

 est labor and pains, make incredible effort at 

 preparation and you will fail, if your soil is wrong. 

 Alfalfa growing is a soil question. Get the soil 

 right and it is difficult to fail. It is easier to get a 

 stand of alfalfa than of most common farm crops. 



(101) 



