216 ALFALFA FARMING IN AMERICA. 



harrows and almost instantly the seed and inocu- 

 lating earth are covered up. The fertilizer is usu- 

 ally 400 pounds per acre of raw bone meal, though 

 other sources of phosphorus have been used as well. 



The result is as certain as mathematics. Mr. Jack 

 at Belle Grove gets stands of alfalfa every time, 

 good, thrifty, healthy, profitable alfalfa. 



It is very notable, however, that wherever Mr. 

 Jack has applied a little manure there he gets much 

 stronger crimson clover and much heavier alfalfa 

 as well. It is not yet proved that a man can build 

 successfully very poor soils without manures. Cer- 

 tainly the work is greatly accelerated when manures 

 are available. 



I have treated at . some length the experiences 

 of Mr. Jack because I know of no more impor- 

 tant work being done anywhere in the east. Here 

 one sees land taken in impoverished condition fairly 

 representing millions of acres of farming lands in 

 the older eastern states, unprofitable to farm, worth- 

 less as an investment unless redeemed, and by appli- 

 cation of plain and well tested agricultural prin- 

 ciples brought rapidly into profitable culture again. 

 Mr. Jack's success, doing this work on a large scale 

 and as a business venture, is a lesson in soil build- 

 ing and business methods in farming of illumining 

 importance to the whole farming world. 



Rate of Seed per Acre. — There are in a bushel of 

 alfalfa seed about 14,000,000 seeds, more or less, 

 according to their size and weight. Thirty pounds 

 to the acre then would put about 160 seeds to the 



