PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES 2/1 



acres on second bottom and upland of heavy clay soil, 

 with gravel below and water at a depth varying from i6 

 to 100 feet on different localities. We irrigate from 

 streams, flooding the land and turning the water off as 

 soon as the land has been all covered, applying once for 

 the first cutting and twice for each succeeding cutting, 

 whenever the ground is dry. The first year on new land 

 requires fully one-third- more water than is needed after- 

 ward. Before seeding, the ground should be mellow, 

 then harrowed with the back part of the harrow or 

 brushed, and seeded with 15 to 20 pounds to the acre, 

 between the first and middle of April. The plant will 

 usually run out the weeds, and on that account no special 

 treatment is needed. The first season will produce a small 

 crop of hay, but no good seed. Unless water Is allowed 

 to freeze on the land, alfalfa does not winterkill here, 

 and at two or three years of age it is at its best, continu- 

 ing vigorous for 10, 20 or 30 years without seeding. 

 The first cutting of the season yields about 254 to 3 tons 

 to the acre, the second about 2 to 2j^, and the third i to 

 i^ tons. The hay is cut when the plant has been in 

 bloom 8 or 10 days, allowed to lie for 24 to 36 hours, 

 and treated as Red clover is. The second crop is always 

 the best for seed here. The cost in the stack, on $25 

 land, irrigation costing 50 to 75 cents an acre, is $2 a ton. 

 ,To put this into loo-pound bales costs $2.50 a ton. On 

 the ground it sells for $3 to $5 a ton, while the seed 

 brings $3, $4 and $5 a bushel An ordinary yield of 

 seed is 300 pounds to the acre, and this is threshed with 

 the same machine used for grain, at a cost of about one- 

 fourth of the seed. The straw is worth about one-fourth 



