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J. STECKLER SEED CO., LTD., ALMANAC AND 



ground; but simply broadcasting the seed 

 by band in the gaps, for no matter bow 

 careful you are in sowing the seed you 

 will 'have gaps. Then you will have a 

 meadow forever. 



The first year of sowing it yields a 

 good crop, if sown alone in the spring, 

 which is the proper way, and after that 

 will yield 3 to 7 crops according to the 

 length of season. On land not irrigated 

 one and two cuttings a year is the aver- 

 age yield. As from one to three tons of 

 hay are mowed every time, there is no 

 other clover that can compare with 

 Alfalfa for a heavy cropper. 



Alfalfa is the very best fertilizer to 

 enrich a poor soil and, being a legumin- 

 ous plant, will store in the ground 

 enough nitrogen to raise 3 and 4 good 

 crops of any other kind of our cultivated 

 plants. Its large carrot-like roots will 

 aerate the land to a great depth and, as 

 the outer part decays annually while they 

 keep growing larger from the center, 

 they are constantly increasing the fertili- 

 ty of the soil. 



The only cause of failure in growing 

 Alfalfa, in some parts of the South, is in 

 trying to raise it in too wet land or in 

 letting the weeds smother the young 

 plants. While Alfalfa will, when 3 or 4 

 years old, kill any other grass grown 

 with it, when young it needs some care, 

 and before sowing, it is a good plan to 

 get rid of the weeds. If they seem to 

 get the best of the Alfalfa they should be 

 m.owed down as often as needed. Mov/- 

 ing often, while fatal to the weeds, will 

 benefit the young Alfalfa as new buds 

 will start on the upper parts of the roots. 

 Alfalfa should not be grazed the first 

 year as tramping on the crowns is 

 injurious, and many promising pasture 

 fields have been ruined by it. After two 

 or three years the crowns of the roots 

 are strong enough to stand any amount 

 of grazing. 



Alfalfa is not only the best and richest 

 hay plant, but is the easiest hay to cure. 

 In making hay cut one day, lay it in the 

 swath and cure all next day. If the sun 

 has shone nicely rake it on the following 

 morning, cock it up immediately after 

 raking while yet damp with the dew and 

 let it cure in the cock, from one to three 

 days before stacking. Never turn it over 

 or shake it in this country, as it will 

 cure perfectly well without it, and the 

 more you disturb, the more it will loose 

 its leaves and fine stems. In stacking, 

 a bucket full of salt for a common size 

 stack strewn in the hay, will help to keep 

 its nice green color. On small farms 

 common horse hay rakes and hay-racks 



are used for making and carrying the 

 hay to the stacks, but in large fields, bull- 

 rakes, "go-devils" and hay stackers are 

 used. By tneir use the hay reaches the 

 stack without having been touched with 

 a pitch fork and the loss of leaves is 

 greatly reduced. The leaves are so rich 

 in protein, for feeding purposes, that 

 they are equal, pound for pound, to the 

 best bran. 



Alfalfa should be cut when it com- 

 mences to bloom and not wait, like a 

 good many farmers do, after it is past 

 bloom, because it contains more nutri- 

 ment then, than when it commences to 

 form the se'eds. It may not weigh quite 

 as much, but it is more relished by the 

 stock and you have fine hay, instead of 

 course stalks. Another good point in not 

 waiting too long, is that you give an 

 earlier start to the next cutting. 



All farm animals are very fend of 

 Alfalfa, green or dry, and it is calculated 

 that one acre will, during the growing 

 season from May till October, add 150 

 pounds of meat to each of the 12 to 15 

 growing pigs which can be kept on it. 

 Even tne chickens and other fowls will, 

 in winter, devour with relish a mash 

 made up of scalded Alfalfa leaves mixed 

 with bran and corn chop, and will amply 

 repay the careful keeper by filling the 

 egg basket with eggs, when they are 

 worth 35 and 40 cents a dozen. Bees do 

 very well on a field of Alfalfa in bloom, 

 and bee keepers are sure of a good crop 

 of honey, the finest, richest, thickest, 

 whitest and best flavored in the world. 

 No honey can equal it and it runs from 

 12 to 13 pounds to the gallon, while the 

 other honeys run from 11 to 12 pounds. 

 The nectar is so abundantly secreted, 

 during the time it is in bloom, that for a 

 given acreage no plant will support as 

 many colonies, 



Bermuda Grass. (Cynodon Dactylon). 

 Almost everybody living in this section 

 of the country knows this grass; it is 

 planted as a Lawn grass, and nothing 

 will stand the sun better, or will make a 

 prettier carpet when kept short, than 

 this grass. It is also very valuable as a 

 pasture and hay grass. It is only of late 

 years that we have been able to obtain 

 the seed of this grass, which heretofore 

 had to be propagated by the roots, 6 

 pounds will sow an acre. Should be 

 planted in the spring, but can also be 

 sown later. Under the most favorable 

 circumstances it takes from 60 to 90 

 days to sprout; requires damp weather 

 and hot sun; but when once up it grows 

 very rapidly. 



Plant Amber and Orange Sorghum, Broom Corn, Dhouro or Egyptian Corn. 



