200 ALFALFA FARMING IN AMERICA. 
sow alfalfa, with what slight labor and expense, yet 
magnificent stands are secured in every instance 
We have not one record of failure where this system 
has been followed on Woodland Farm except in 
a few spots where the barley lodged badly and was 
not soon enough removed. 
The further treatment of the field is to let it alone 
till the barley comes into bloom. Then we go in 
with mowers and cut it all down and make it into 
hay. By that time the alfalfa will be needing a 
clipping. Sometimes we wait till the grain is be- 
ginning to form in the heads, but usually we take 
off the barley hay earlier than that. 
Time to Cut.—The test of when young alfalfa is 
ready to clip is when the plants put out little buds 
or shoots down near the ground, at the bases of the 
stems. It ought never to be clipped before then. 
After that time it ought to be clipped promptly, as 
one must not cut off these new shoots with the 
mower. We have said this before and will repeat it 
again as the point is so essential to success. 
Why Make Barley Hay?—Why do we not let the 
barley ripen its grain? Because if. we were to do 
that it would seriously weaken the young alfalfa. 
Ripening grain takes a tremendous amount of 
moisture from the ground. It also not infrequently 
lodges and this smothers out the young alfalfa. 
Very little shading or mulching will kill it. So it 
is better to make hay of the barley. It makes good 
hay; all animals love it. It is more profitable made 
into hay than used in any other form. 
