16 



ALFALFA OR LUCERN. 



{Mcdicago Sativa. 

 The Deepest Rooting, Soiling and Hay Plant Grown. 

 Opens up the Subsoil. Adds Nitrogen and Humus to the Land. 



YIELD. — When fully established it yields as much as eight to twelve, and sometimes as high as sixteen, tons 

 of cured hay per acre at three to four cuttings each year. The hay is palatable and very nutritious. 



By the New Jersey Experiment Station and other competent authorities the feeding value of the hay is 

 placed at $20.00 as compared with Timothy at §12.00 per ton. As a soiling plant for cutting and feeding 

 green during the summer it is of the utmost value on all dairy farms, as it is ready for first cutting 

 about the time for planting Corn and about as early as green Eye can be cut, and is ready for cutting 

 about every six weeks thereafter. Alfalfa should be cut every time it begins to blossom, whether 

 the growth is short or tall, for if allowed to form seed, it shortens the life of the plant. 



Owing to slow growth the first season, almost the entire growth going to roots, the land should 

 be clean and free from weeds, and it is, therefore, best to follow Potatoes, Corn or some other 

 crop that has been thoroughly hoed and kept free from weeds. 



DEEP ROOTING. — Its drought-resisting qualities are remarkable, ren- 

 dered so by the wonderful root formation, THE KOOTS GOING DOWN 

 DEEPER THAN ANY OTHEE PLANT, eight to twelve feet being usual, 

 and a depth of thirty feet has been reported. This deep-rooting quality 

 enables it to reach and utilize plant food beyond the reach of other plants. 



There is no plant which can be fed green or cured into hay that is deserv- 

 ing of wider cultivation than Alfalfa, and there is no State in the Union where 

 it cannot be successfully cultivated under the following conditions : 



LIME NECESSARY.— One of the essentials for its success is lime iu some form, 

 either in the soil or subsoil, and if lime or marl is present, profitable crops may be expected. 

 Therefore, if it is known that there is no lime in the soil, it should be applied as a 

 top-dressing when the land is being plowed preparatory to sowing the seed. 



GOOD DRAINAGE is neces- 

 sary, for an excess of surfacewater 

 soon rots the roots and under 

 these conditions the plants seldom 

 live longer than one or two years, 

 though excellent results have been 

 obtained on clay soils, provided 

 always that lime is In the soil 

 or subsoil, either naturally or 

 applied. 



TIME OP SOWING.-The 



best time to sow in this section is 

 in April, and if the land is thor- 

 oughly clean and free from weeds, 

 it may be sown broadcast, using 

 20 lbs. per acre, and such weeds as 

 appear kept down by the mowing 

 machine with the cutter bar raised 

 so as to avoid cutting near the 

 crowns of the young plants. But, 

 even under the most favorable 

 conditions the better plan is to 

 drill the seed in rows 16 inches to 

 2 feet apart, at the rate of 15 to 20 

 lbs. per acre. As soon as the 

 young plants are high enough to 

 mark the rows, cultivation should 

 begin, and if the soil is kept clean 

 and mellow by frequent stirrings, 

 the Alfalfa, if cut often and not 

 allowed to go to seed, will after 

 the first year cover the ground 

 and easily keep ahead of all 

 weeds. 18c. lb. ; $9. OO bushel 

 of 60 lbs.; $15.00 per 100 

 lbs. 



H* 



Mfl. 





Alfalfa or Lucern. 

 (Medicago Sativa.) 



CLOVER 



THE MOST VALUABLE PLANT FOR 

 RESTORING THE FERTILITY 

 OF WORN-OUT SOILS. 



'T'HE value of Scarlet Clover is now so thoroughly 

 ■^ established that we have no hesitation in recom- 

 mending that all lands from which crops have been 

 harvested during the summer and fall should be sown 

 with Scarlet Clover for plowing under the following 

 spring. Authorities who have made a careful estimate 

 state that plowing under a good crop of Scarlet Clover 

 is equivalent to 20 tons of stable manure per acre, and 

 even if the clover be harvested or pastured, the bene- 

 fits derived from the wonderful nitrogenous root for- 

 mation will alone many times repay the cost. 

 If intended for feeding, it should always be cut 

 "while in the young stage and never fed to stock after the 

 crop has ceased flowering, as serious results are apt to 

 follow the feeding of over-ripe Crimson Clover. It is the 

 cheapest source of nitrogen and should be extensively 

 used throughout the entire Eastern States. Its value as 

 a winter soil mulch and for green manuring for orchards 

 cannot be overestimated. 



In the latitude of New York, time for sowing may ex- 

 tend from July 15th to September 15th, and further South 

 up to October. The seed needs to be only lightly covered, 

 and a good plan is to sow on fresh plowing and cover 

 with a light harrow. Sow 15 lbs. per acre. 

 Choice new crop seed of highest growing quality, thoroughly 

 recleaned and free from weed seeds, 10c. lb., $5.00 bush„ 

 $8.00 per 100 lbs. 



