PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES 30I 



other cttttings that year; have no trouble here about win- 

 terkilling; standing water is injurious to the plant. Here 

 alfalfa on uplands is watered three or four times each 

 season ; some land needs only one or two floodings, while 

 other lower lands have no irrigation. After getting a 

 good start from the seed, we begin watering about May 

 I, from small mountain streams. The first year requires 

 water about every week; after that, once a month is 

 sufl&cient. For hay, we begin cutting with the first bloom, 

 obtaining 2 to 2>^ tons from the first cutting, about 2 

 the second, and from I to Ij4 the third cutting; let it lie 

 about two days before hauling to stack, being careful not 

 to stack too green. For seed, begin cutting when seed is 

 ripe, the second crop being considered best. The grass- 

 hoppers have been troubling the second crop to some 

 extent, and we have on that acount been cutting the first 

 crop for seed, using a reaper and separating with a thresh- 

 ing machine. On a basis of 7 per cent interest on $30 

 per acre, with five tons of hay per acre each year, it has 

 cost about $1.55 per ton to raise alfalfa. We estimate $1 

 .per ton for cutting and stacking, and 60 cents per acre 

 for water tax. It costs $2.25 per ton for baling, 100 to 

 125-pound bale, the size having no eifect as to the keep- 

 ing of properly cured hay. From 8 to 10 bushels Is a 

 fair average seed yield, the cost of threshing and clean- 

 ing being about 40 cents per bushel. Baled hay is worth 

 (free on board) about $6.50, and loose, about $4 per ton; 

 seed sells for about 7 cents per pound. Alfalfa hay is 

 preferable to timothy or clover, ton for ton, for feeding 

 without grain ; with grain, our liverymen prefer timothy. 

 We find alfalfa with grain equal to timothy for draft 



