242 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 



water is reached at a depth of from 12 to 20 feet In 

 sinking two wells on my place, the soil was found as fol- 

 lows : First 12 feet, decomposed vegetable matter; 4 feet 

 of quicksand; 4 feet of clay loam; 4 feet of hardpan; 16 

 feet of yellow clay; 6 feet of hardpan; 2 feet of black 

 sand, and, at 48 feet, coarse gravel The ground should 

 be thoroughly pulverized — ^the finer the better — after 

 plowing at least 12 inches deep, and then seeded with not 

 less than 25 pounds of seed to the acre. I have had the 

 best results from sowing in the early fall, immediately 

 after the first rains, using the "Gem'' seeder, harrowing 

 in with very light harrow, and rolling the ground well. 

 The first crop is usually quite weedy, and of little value, 

 but the second is better, producing about i J4 tons of hay 

 to the acre, if the stand is good. Stock of all kinds should 

 be kept off the first year. There is no danger here of 

 winterkilling, and by the second year the full yield is real- 

 ized.. The length of time the plant continues vigorous 

 depends on the treatment. If pastured extensively, it will 

 require to be reseeded in from five to eight years; but 

 otherwise it may go considerably longer. I invariably 

 obtain three crops a year, averaging per acre for the first 

 2j4, and for the others ij^ to 2 tons. I irrigate only in 

 the winter, when the river is bank full and I can turn in 

 water from it. Alfalfa produces the best results witli 

 irrigation after each cutting, and in that case there are 

 five to seven cuttings obtainable, where with winter flood- 

 ing I secure the three only. I mow for hay as soon as 

 the bloom begins to develop, raking in the afternoon fol- 

 lowing the morning cutting, commence hauling about the 

 third day after, and then put in the barn with plenty of 



