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of California, any time will answer from fall until spring. The soil | 
should be thoroughly prepared, and the seed sown at the rate of 15 
to 20 pounds to the acre. If sown broadcast, about the latter quan- 
tity will be required; if in drills, the former amount will be sufficient. 
If the raising of seed is the main object, 12 or 14 pounds to the acre 
will give the best results, as the plants will be more vigorous and yield 
more seed, though they will be coarser and less desirable for feed. 
Drill-culture gives the best results, especially if the soil be dry or 
weedy. The drills may be.12 to 18 inches apart according to the tool 
tobe employed in cultivation. The seed, if sown broadcast, may be sown 
alone or with grain, but it generally gives the best results when sown 
alone. It is often sown with oats with good results, but in a wet season 
it is liable to be smothered out unless the grain is sown quite thin. 
After the first year the harrow may be employed to advantage, and 
even a narrow plow, of such form as will not cut the roots too severely, 
is sometimes used with good effect, especially where the planting is in 
rows. Inall cases where weeds are inclined to appear it is desirable to 
give some kind of cultivation everyyear. This is notsoimportant where 
the plant is irrigated as elsewhere. In much of the country reaching 
from Texas to the Pacific, irrigation is only essential the first year, or un- 
til the roots have penetrated deeply into the soil, though the crop is 
greatly increased by an abundant supply of moisture at all times. In 
parts of California and adjoining States alfalfa is grown only by irriga- 
tion, and this must sometimes be resorted to, even when not essen- 
tial for the growth of the crop, in order to kill the gophers, which are — 
liable to destroy the plants by eating off the roots a few inches below 
the surface. Immediate irrigation will also prevent many of the plants 
so eaten off from dying. 
Alfalfa should be neither mowed nor pastured until it has made a 
considerable growth and becomes well established. 
Harvesting, Feeding, etc.—Alfalta is perhaps best known in most lo- 
calities as a soiling plant. For this purpose it has scarcely a superior. 
It may be cut repeatedly during the season, furnishing a large amount 
of nutritious forage, which is relished by all kinds of stock. It is said 
to be less liable than clover to cause slobbers in horses. There is some 
danger, however, especially to cattle, in feeding it while wet or very suc- 
culent, of its causing bloat or hoven. On this account it is a good plan 
_ to feed it in the green state in connection with straw or hay, or to let it — 
lie several hours to become partially wilted before being fed. 
It is when used as pasture that the greatest danger occurs in the 
use of alfalfa. Many have used it for years, both for soiling and as 
pasture, without any injurious results, but numerous instances have 
been reported where cattle have bloated and died from eating too freely 
of it when succulent or wet. In some instances cattle have been kept 
upon it from the time it started in spring until June or July, with no 
evil results, and then, when the growth has become very rank or been 
