S FARM MANAGEMENT IN LENAWEE COUNTY, MICH. 29 
are that this crop is gradually assuming a permanent place in the 
cropping systems of the section and as a rule it is not assuming undue 
prominence or interfering with the proper handling of the remainder 
of the farm crops. (See fig. 8.) 
A reasonable acreage of alfaifa is very desirable on most farms of 
+; this section, but too great an acreage is not easily managed. One of 
the most important factors in determining a desirable-acreage of 
alfalfa on a given farm is the labor schedule. The records taken in 
this area show that the average dates of harvesting the first cutting 
Fig. 8.—A good stand of alfalfa, Lenawee County, Mich. 
of alfalfa is from June 4 to 11. The early and more critical stages of 
the cultivation of corn come at the same time. As the acreage of 
alfalfa is increased the interference with the proper cultivation of 
the corn crop increases. Thus the corn crop becomes very largely 
the determining factor as to how great the acreage of alfalfa shall be. 
If the acreage in alfalfa is increased beyond moderate proportions, it 
will become advisable to reduce the acreage of corn accordingly, or 
means must be devised for securing extra labor to take care of the 
work at the time of the first cutting. It is the first cutting that is 
the greatest factor in this connection, as there is but little conflict in 
the labor of other crops when the second and third cuttings of alfalfa 
are done. On only two of the farms studied has alfalfa been made 
the dominating feature of the farm system. These have been dis- 
cussed at some length on page 17 under “Special farms.”’ 
