U8 



BICHAED FEOTSCHER S ALMANAC AND GARDEN MANUAL 



STumed for an hour, and at once hauled into 

 the barn. By this method the leaves do not 

 fall oS, -vrhich is sure to be the case, if the 

 Alfalfa is exposed to a day or two cf hot sun- 

 shine. 



It has been my habit to precede the Alfalfa 

 "ffith a elepji crop— usually Eutabagas, after 

 which I sow clay peas, to be turned in about 

 the last of July.' About the middle of Sep- 

 tember or later I have the land plowed, the 

 turn-plow being followed by a deep sub-soil- 

 plow or scooter. After' this the land is ferti- 

 lized and harrowed until it is thoroughly pul- 

 Terized and all lumps broken up. The ferti- 

 lizers employed by me are SOU lbs. line bone- 

 dust (phosphate of lime) and lOGO lbs. cotton 

 seed hull ashes per acre! These ashes are very 

 rich in potash and phosphates containing 

 nearly 45 per cent, of the phosphate of lime — 

 the two ai-ticles best adapted to the wants of 

 this plant. I sow all my Alfalfa with the 

 Matthews' Seed Drill, in rows 10 inches apart. 

 Broad-cast would be preferable, if the land 

 was perfectly free from grass and weeds; 

 but it takes several years of clean culture to 

 put the land in this condition, sowing in drill 

 is practically the best. No seed sower known 

 to me can be compared with the Matthews' 

 Seed Drill. Its work is evenly and regularh' 

 done, and with a rapidity that is astcnishing; 

 for it opens the drill to any desired depth, 

 drops the seed, covers and rolls them, and 

 marks the line for the nest drill at one opera- 

 tion. It is simple and durable in its structure, 

 and is the greatest labor-saving machine of its 

 kind ever devised for hand-work. 



TMien my Alfalfa is about three inches high, 

 I work it with the Matthews' Hand Cultivjitor. 

 First, the front tooth of the cultivator iis taken 

 out, by which means the row is straddled and 

 aU the grass cut cut close to the plant; then 

 the front tooth being replaced, the cultivator 

 is passed between the rows, completely clean- 

 ing the middles of all foul growth. As often 

 as requii-ed to keep down gTass, until the Al- 

 falfa is large enough to "cut, the Matthews' 

 Hand Cultivator is passed between the rows. 



Alfalfa requires three years to reach pei-fec- 

 tion, but even the first year the yield is larger 

 than most forage plants: and after the second 



it is enormous. The land must, however, be 

 made 7"('c/( at first; a top-dressing every three 

 years is all that will thereafter be required, 

 the seed must be very lightly covered, and 

 should be rolled, or brushed in, if not sowed 

 with Matthews' Seed Sower. 



"Whenever the plant is in bloom it must be 

 cut; for. if the seed be left to mature, the 

 stems become hard and woody. Also when- 

 ever it turns yellow, no matter at what age, it 

 must be cut or mowed; for the yellow color 

 shows the presence of some disease, or the 

 work of some small insect, both of which 

 seems to be remedied by mowing promptly. 

 My experience leads me to the conclusion that 

 fully five tons of cured hay per acre may be 

 counted on if proper attention be given to 

 deep plowing, sub-soiling, feitiliztng and clean- 

 liness of the soil. These things are indispens- 

 able, and without them no one need attempt 

 cultivate Alfalfa. 



In conclusion, I will remark that I have 

 tried the Lucerne seed imported by you from 

 France, side by side with the Alf.alf a seed sent 

 me by TnimbuU A: Co., of San Francisco, and 

 I can not see the shghtest difi'erence in ap- 

 pearance, cha.racter, quantity or quality of 

 yield, or hardiness. They are identical: both 

 have germinated equally well, that is to say, 

 perfectly. 



In closing, I can not do better than refer 

 you to the little tieatise of Mr. C. W. Howard' 

 entitled: *'A Manual of the Grasses and For- 

 age Plants at the South." Mr. Howard, among 

 the very first to cultivate Lucerne in the 

 South, gives it the preference over aU other 

 forage plants whatever. My experience con- 

 firms all that Mr. Howard claims for it. Cer- 

 tainly, a plant that lasts a generation is worthy 

 cf the bestowal of some time, patience and 

 money to realize what a treasure they can se- 

 cure for themselves. I confidently beheve 

 that in years from this date the Alfalfa will 

 b e generally cultivated throughout the entira 

 South. 



I am. respectfullv vours. 



' ' E. M. HUDSON, 

 CounsellcT at La%», 

 20 Carondelet Street New Orleanj*. 



JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE. 



This tuber is well known, and ha,s been described by me in my former Almanacs. It in 

 »sed for the table, also for stock feed. It does better in a 'rich loam; should be i^lanted and 

 •mltivated like potatoes. They yield very heavy. 



Price, per bushel, $2.50; per gall., 35 cents. 



Louisiana, July 2S, 1890. 



I have been using your seeds for the last 

 three years &iid find them better than any I 

 have ever used. Your seeds always come up 

 and make A No. 1 show in my garden; my 

 vegetables are praised by every one who sees 

 them, and that. I must admit, is owing to the 

 good quahty of your seeds. 



J. ALBERT VERKET. 



LouisiA>,-A, March 9, 1896. 

 Your seed are spendid; they never fail to 

 come up in any instance, producing choice 

 vegetables also. 



MRS. J. OiLER LAN-DRY. 



Texas, January 13, 1890. 

 Have alwavs had good results with vour 

 seeds. ^ THOS. McCLANAHAN. 



