88 ALFALFA FARMING IN AMERICA. 
straightens up again as soon as it thaws and goes 
on growing in a few days. No animals should ever 
be let tread upon it when it is frosted. Indeed 
it is better for the alfalfa never to be depastured. 
The First Growth—The first growth is usually 
strongest, perhaps because of the long rest it has 
had during winter, and maybe because of 
more abundant soil moisture in the spring. 
In Ohio it begins to bloom in late May or 
early in June. In more southern states it 
blooms earlier; sometimes in Louisiana it will 
bloom in April, or even earlier. The height of 
alfalfa at blooming time varies with the soil and 
variety. Ordinarily it is about 30 to 40” high. In 
very good alfalfa soils with abundant irrigation and 
good suns, it may be much higher. The writer has 
grown it on his old Utah ranch fields so tall that only 
the heads of the deer were visible as they stood 
nearly submerged in alfalfa verdure. In some soils 
where roots cannot go deep it may not get higher 
than 24’. 
Time to Cut.—When bloom begins time is near for 
alfalfa harvest. One cannot judge by state of bloom 
altogether when alfalfa should be cut, however. 
Perhaps in some western soils it does not matter 
when it is cut; no great harm results from cutting it 
at the wrong season. In all eastern regions, how- 
ever, it is very necessary that it should be cut at the 
right time. Failure to know when to cut it often re- 
sults in losing altogether the thrift of the next cut- 
ting, and maybe losing the alfalfa completely. One 
