SUMMARY OF ALFALFA SOWING. 485 
and pushes the alfalfa on fast and makes a strong 
root to withstand winter. The oncoming winter is 
the bugbear, so get the roots so big and strong that 
the frost cannot lift them out. The money invested 
in the fertilization, provided the soil is not quite 
rich, will be generously repaid over the next season. 
Fifth, do not disturb the young alfalfa. Do not 
clip it nor pasture it this year. Carefully exclude 
animals in winter. Let no foot fall on it before the 
middle of the following May. 
Previous Treatment for Midsummer Seeding.— 
The land may be enriched and planted to early po- 
tatoes, these kept well cultivated, dug early, and the 
land at once made ready for alfalfa. Great care 
must be taken to work it so thoroughly that no 
moisture is lost. It may be a wheat stubble. In this 
instance, as soon as possible get the wheat off; run 
the manure spreader over the field; plow at once, 
harrowing each day what is plowed that day, and 
work it down soon to a hard firm moist seedbed. 
The field may be enriched, sown to spring barley, 
which will be cut off for hay, then plowed again and 
made ready for alfalfa. The field may be dedicated 
to alfalfa from the first, plowed in the spring, kept 
harrowed all through May, June and the first half 
of July, and then the alfalfa sown. 
Any one of these treatments will likely give suc- 
cess. The practical objection is that when nothing 
is sown upon the land it is a costly way of getting a 
stand. When the alfalfa follows a grain crop there 
is no loss of the land, but fear lest the soil moisture 
