HENDERSON'S NORTHERN GROWN ALFALFA MEDICAC0 



SATIVA 



Yields Good Crops in all Sections of the United States. Is a most Efficient Hay- Producer and SoiLEnricher 



It has been well said that if "Corn is king," Alfalfa is the "Queen of 

 forage plants." 



Yet Alfalfa growing in the Northeast is not as universal as it should be, 

 although there has been a vast increase in the acreage devoted to its 

 cultivation. Alfalfa is a true leguminous plant, and a perennial, staying 

 on the land for many years. It sends down its long tap-roots into the 

 subsoil — five, ten, twenty, or even thirty feet, and untilizes the plant 

 foods contained therein. It is a great soil enricher, for the nodules on 

 its roots are the home of bacteria that extract the nitrogen from the 

 air and transform it into a valuable fertilizing element. For this pur- 

 pose it is superior to any other plant, because in addition to the nitrogen 

 gathered from the air, its deep tap-roots bring up other mineral con- 

 stituents from the lower layers of soil, to be utilized later by shallow 

 feeding crops. It has been calculated by competent authority that 

 the amount of fertilizer, that will come from an acre of good Alfalfa 

 is equal to what the farmer would pay $60.00 for, if purchased by the 

 bag. As a hay producer it surely has no equal when once estab- 

 lished, as from three to four cuttings may be had in a season, according 

 to conditions, totaling four to six tons per acre. 



THE FEEDING VALUE OF ALFALFA 



is very high, be.ng very rich in protein — which builds up blood, muscle 

 and bone in growing animals. Corn and its fodder, and most other 

 farm crops, are rich in carbohydrates, the fat-forming element, but 

 deficient in protein, so that Alfalfa is the best crop to balance up the 

 fat-forming feeds. Corn and Alfalfa form the ideal food for fattening 

 all farm animals, one supplementing the other. Alfalfa and Barley, 

 Alfalfa and Wheat, or Alfalfa and Oats are all excellent combinations. 



Alfalfa naturally prefers a rich, loose limestone soil with a porous 

 subsoil; but it also grows and thrives on a variety of soils, and in many 

 different climates. Briefly, there are three essentials — the land must 

 be drained if wet, it must be sweetened with lime if acid, and there 

 must be humus and nitrogen in the soil, which may be easily supplied 

 by barnyard manures, or green crops plowed under. When lime is 

 not present in the soil, it must be supplied, the amount used being 

 1 ton of quicklime, or 2 tons of ground limestone per acre. 



The time to sow in the North and Eastern States is June, July'or 

 August, 30 to 40 lbs. per acre if broadcasted or 25 to 30 lbs. if drilled 

 in; in the South sow in February or September. (See engraving.) 



Price, 35c. per lb.; $18.75 per bushel of 60 lbs.; $30.00 per 100 lbs. 



CURING ALFALFA FOR HAY 



In the growth- of any hay-producing crop there is just one short period at 

 which it can be harvested and good hay made from it, and when that time has 

 arrived we should not lose a moment's time in getting the mowers in the field. 

 A good deal more depends on hay being made at the right time than the manner 

 of harvesting the crop. When is the best time to cut Alfalfa? This is an 

 important question, and one that every Alfalfa grower needs to study and master. 

 Many fields of Alfalfa are injured by the crop being cut too soon or left too long. 

 In my experience I have found that lean make an extra good quality of hay 

 by cutting the crop when it is about one-third in bloom. At this 

 time new growth has started from the bottom of the plants 

 which is a good indication that the crop is ready to cut. 

 It is very essential that the crop be harvested imme 

 diately when this new growth appears, and it should 

 not be cut before that time, for if it is cut be 

 fore these buds or new shoots ^ave been thrown 

 out from the root the Alfalfa will be at a 

 standstill until it has time to make this new 



" The enclosed picture was taken just be/ore 

 the fourth cutting of my field of Henderson's 

 Alfalfa totalling 1 1 fe.t for the year. For 

 three years the growth has equalled and even 

 exceeded this -picture." 



S. FRANCISCO, 

 Fairfield Dairy Co., N. J. 



"I saved four and one-half tons 

 barn cured Alfalfa hay the first sea- 

 son, last year four tons. Would 

 have saved five tons but for long 

 spring drought." 



EDWIN EARLE, 

 Canaan Farm, Esmont, Va. 



"J desire at this time to express my sa- 

 tisfaction with your selected Alfalfa seed. 

 I ordered 80 lbs. from you last summer and 

 when it arrived I saw that it was immensely 

 superior to some that I bought of a local dealer, 

 that I would not even plant the latter. 



"My faith in your seed was amply justified, 

 as I procured a PERFECT stand, free from 

 weeds, dodder, etc. I have already made three cut- 

 tings this year, and expect to make two more before 

 the season is over. I shall gather in over five tons 

 of perfect hay." S.J. McCALLE, 



Missionary Ridge, Chattanooga, Tenn. 



" The recleaned Alfalfa Seed I got from you turned out and 

 grew very well indeed. I am well satisfied." 



new growth. It will require about 10 days for the Alfalfa to start these bud* 

 or shoots, and during that time troublesome weeds will make their appearance, 

 the Alfalfa in many cases will become of a yellowish color, and the following 

 crop will inevitably be a short one. Hence we must not cut Alfalfa until it 

 has thrown out buds or new shoots near the root. Then the new crop will 

 start off vigorously and we shall soon have a good growth for a second, third or 

 fourth cutting. If, however, we neglect to cut the Alfalfa immediately after 

 it has made this new growth the plants will begin to throw their strength 

 to these buds, the main stalk will start to crinkle down, and 

 ill not be of the best quality. If the first crop 

 harvested at all it will grow and produce seed, 

 the second crop will not be as good as it would 

 ive been had the first crop been removed, for a 

 seed crop detracts a good deal from the next 

 cutting. 



Rural New Yorker, June 19, 1915. 



REUBEN KOLB, Easton 



1 You may be interested in learning of the re- 

 sult of the test I had made on your Alfalfa. 

 It shows 96.5 with no weeds. I have another 

 sample at 75c. per lb. that has weeds in it, 

 and that only shows 85." 



WM. H. OAT, Norwich, Conn. 

 " That Alfalfa I bought of you is more 

 than a success, it is a wonder to all the 

 farmers around here. No rain here for 

 eight weeks, yet it is growing fine while 

 around the fields are all dried up." 

 THOMAS S. OSBORN, 



Amaganselt, L. I. 



"Last August I bought seed from you to 



sow about V$ of an acre to Alfalfa. Had 



good success with it, having had a very 



good stand and now want to sow a piece 



of land about 100 ft. x 500 ft." 



OLIVER LAWRENCE,' 

 917 Kline Street, Springfield, III. 



" Planted four acres with Alfalfa seed pur- 

 chased of you last August and have an excel- 

 lent stand. Does not seem, to have been hurt to 

 any extent by the winter." H. TURNER, 



Chester Springs, Pa. 



Henderon's Sample of Alfalfa, I am glad to say, 

 stood at the head of twelve other samples sent by me to 

 the Government for analysis. Kindly ship to me at Wilcox 

 Wharf, James River, Va., enough to seed sixty acres." 



E. A. SAUNDERS, Jr., Richmond, Va. 



Full cultural instructions will be found in our booklet "Alfalfa on Northern Farms," sent free to all applicants 



