THIRTY-SEVENTH ANNUAL CONVENTION. 225 



are practically never secured without its liberal use. The use 

 of maunre is by far the most important factor in securing suc- 

 cessful results with alfalfa on Iowa soils. 



Preparation of the Seed Bed. 



To insure the best possible stand of alfalfa, the land chosen 

 for the crop should be plowed in the spring following the appli- 

 cation of the manure, and worked down into good condition 

 at once. The field should then be harrowed or disked at least 

 every two weeks in order to insure germinating and killing as 

 many of the weed seeds present as possible, and also to conserve 

 the moisture. 



It is not necessary, however, to give up an entire season to 

 securing a stand, though this is the surest method. Manure 

 may be applied and the land plowed immediately following the 

 cutting of winter wheat, or first year crop of red clover or oats 

 cut early for hay. When this treatment has been given as soon 

 folowing the removal of the crop as possible, it has almost 

 never failed to give good results, even though the summer be 

 rather dry. 



The necessity of thoroughness in this preparation, how- 

 ever, cannot be over emphasized. Unless the land is prepared 

 early in the summer and then a good mulch maintained, there 

 will be great danger of an insufficient supply of moisture to in- 

 sure germination. Then again alfalfa will not fight weeds, and 

 unless the soil is stirred often, in this way bringing the weed 

 seeds to the surface and germinating them before the alfalfa 

 crop is put in, difficulty and possible failure is the result. Fur- 

 ther, while the surface soil should be very well fined and loose 

 the substance should be rather compact. Late and insufficient 

 preparation means a loose seed bed with more drying out, and 

 then in the winter great danger from heaving, with the loss of 

 the whole crop as a result. 



The Use of Lime. 



If the soil is at all acid, to grow alfalfa it will be necessary 

 to apply from 1,000 to 2,500 pounds of lime per acre. The 



