A. H. Hoffman, Inc., Seedsmen, Landisville, Lancaster Co., Pa. 13 
Instructions for Growing Alfalfa 
1. PLANT IN A DEEP, LOOSE, WELL-DRAINED SOIL. Where soils are rather thin the 
condition can be remedied by deep plowing. Alfalfa has a deep-feeding root system which can not be 
utilized without favorable top soil conditions. When this is furnished the roots will soon reach down 
through rather stiff clay soils. Soils that are sandy or lacking in fertility should be corrected by 
heavy applications of manure. If the land is sour it must be sweetened by liming. See paragraph 5. 
2. THE SEED BED MUST BE WELL PREPARED. The soil should be thoroughly pulver- 
ized to considerable depth and then made quite firm by rolling or dragging. The land must have a 
chance to settle. It usually takes as much as six weeks for the land to settle, though in periods of 
frequent heavy rains the settling process may require only four weeks. The disc and harrow are the 
tools needed to follow the plow in soil preparation. After the ground is throughly prepared it should 
be harrowed after each rain. If it does not rain the land should be harrowed every ten days until the 
seed is sown; this will insure sufficient moisture for germination and destroy the weed seeds in the 
soil. Unless the land is thoroughly freed of weeds ahead of seeding there is danger of same making 
headway and choking out the Alfalfa plants while they are young and tender. When you plan Alfalfa 
seeding long in advance you should grow cultivated crops ahead of the Alfalfa, and make every effort 
to destroy every possible weed plant before it reseeds itself. 
3. IF SOIL LACKS HUMUS it is well to supply it by turning under clover sod or cow peas or 
soy beans or crimson clover or sweet clover. This will make the soil friable and with the manure you 
apply will give the Alfalfa the fertility of soil to sustain it in its early growth. Alfalfa when estab- 
lished is a strong grower and will look out for its own feed if there is anything in reach. But when 
the plant first starts it is indeed weak and must have plenty of available food in order to make a good 
growth the first year. Then it will build a strong tap root which will enable it to winter well and start 
vigorously to produce growth of hay the following Spring. 
4. INOCULATION IS NECESSARY. This means that you must plant in the soil nitrogen- 
fixing germs or bacteria, without which Alfalfa cannot flourish. Where sweet clover grows vigor- 
ously by the roadside it is possible your land has naturally the proper bacteria to grow Alfalfa, as 
these two bacterias seem to be the same, and where one grows the other will thrive. Your soil may be 
full of clover bacteria or cow pea or soy bean bacteria, but these germs will not help your Alfalfa. 
So that it will be necessary to supply these Alfalfa germs or bacteria artificially. We believe the very 
best bacteria to buy is that sold under the name of "Farmogerm." We keep it in stock at all times 
and furnish it to our customers. See about "Farmogerm" on page 4 of this catalog. The manu- 
facturers of "Farmogerm" were the original discoverers and introducers of commercial bacteria and 
their product is the most dependable that can be secured. Their laboratory processes are most elab- 
orate and scientific. We absolutely know after putting out thousands of dollars' worth of "Farmo- 
germ" that this form of cultures is all that is claimed for it. There are other methods of inoculating 
Alfalfa, but we cannot recommend them. 
5. USE OF LIME FOR SOIL ACIDITY. Alfalfa must have soil that is sweet and not acid. 
Where crops of grain have been grown successively for many years soils are apt to become acid. You 
can test your soil yourself, as follows : Buy a dime's worth of blue litmus paper at your drug store. 
Take a knife and cut into the ground you want to test, pressing the earth slightly apart. Then push a 
piece of the blue litmus paper into the opening and press the earth firmly together so that the blue 
litmus paper will be held firmly and leave it there for several hours. The soil must not be too dry. 
If the paper turns from blue to red it is evident that your soil is acid and needs lime to correct it. 
To insure correct results the test should be repeated in several parts of the field. Burned lime should 
not be used in greater quantities than two tons per acre. If ground limestone is used an application 
of 3,000 pounds per acre is recommended. Where agricultural lime is procurable it is safer to use 
than either of the above forms, as it is not caustic. Two tons of lime or more, not caustic, per acre 
may be used. All lime must be applied after plowing and same must be worked in thoroughly, pre- 
ferably by discing and, if possible, a few weeks before seeding. 
6. BEST TIME TO SEED. This is different in different localities and depends upon climatic con- 
ditions and upon whether you can give proper attention to soil preparation, weed killing, etc., in ad- 
vance of any set time for seeding. You can sow either Spring or Fall, here in the Middle Atlantic and 
Ohio Valley States. A very good rule is to seed as long ahead of the most trying seasons for the 
young plants as possible. Any time in late April, May or June in the Spring, or late July, August or 
early September in the Fall is permissible, provided the other conditions in these paragraphs have 
been taken care of. Where very hot mid-summers must be feared, early Fall seeding should be con- 
sidered. Where very severe winters are anticipated Spring seeding may be preferred. We have ob- 
served that among the successful Alfalfa growers of Pennsylvania and adjoining States Spring and 
Fall seeding are practiced in about equal proportion and with about equal success. 
7. SHALL THE SEED BE COVERED? By all means cover the seed. Seeding on top as 
clovers and timothy are occasionally seeded will be risking failure. On heavy loam soils cover the 
seed from three-fourths to one inch. On sandy soils that dry out readily cover one and one-half to 
two inches. Alfalfa seeds have a hard coat and will not germinate unless the seed is firmly packed 
in damp soil. When seed is broadcasted a shallow set smootliing harrow or a weedcr must be used. 
We believe in rolling after working in the seed. Alfalfa disc drills do splendid work as the seed can 
all be placed in the exact depth that is required. 
8. HOW HEAVY TO SEED. In the East more seed is needed than in the West. We advise 
using plenty of seed. Ten tp twelve pounds would be sufficient here in the East if all other conditions 
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