1906. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
569 
WHY THE ALFALFA FAILED. 
On page 602 a New York reader gave his 
discouraging experience in trying to start 
Alfalfa. Following are suggestions for him 
from Kansas, Pennsylvania and Illinois. 
In reply to I. P., So. Dayton, N. Y., in 
regard to his Alfalfa, I should guess it 
needed cutting. Alfalfa is a plant that 
requires frequent clipping to keep it fresh 
and green. Here in Kansas it gets yel¬ 
low if allowed to stand more than 35 to 
40 days, especially in damp weather. I 
do not see how his treatment could be 
bettered otherwise, provided his under 
drainage is good. geo. purdy. 
Kansas. 
I. P. states on page 502 that his Alfal¬ 
fa is turning yellow, looks sickly, does 
not grow much and that sorrel grows 
vigorously on the plot. He will probably 
have to do now what he should have done 
before seeding. If it was my Alfalfa I 
would cut the Alfalfa immediately, at 
once sow 1,500 to 2,000 pounds of lime 
per acre, and work it Tri with a disk har¬ 
row, setting the disks at an angle that 
would just turn the soil over, and weight¬ 
ing the harrow so that the disks would 
split and tear the crowns but not cut the 
roots off. I would go over the ground 
once with disk harrow after sowing the 
lime, then sow 500 pounds per acre of 
inoculated soil from an old Alfalfa field, 
and cross-disk once, leveling the ground 
with a smoothing harrow. The inoculat¬ 
ed soil should not be dried out too much, 
and should be sown on a cloudy day and 
covered quickly, as sunlight kills bacteria. 
It is probable that but little improvement 
will be seen from this treatment until 
next Spring, when if the seed used was 
adapted to the locality the Alfalfa should 
become thrifty. h. m. cottrell. 
Illinois. 
Twenty years ago, after a western trip, 
where I saw the fine fields of Alfalfa, in 
Colorado, etc., I sowed seven acres in 
the Spring. I got a fine stand but the 
next Winter pulled it all out, by alternate 
freezes and thaws. In 1901 I plowed 
one acre, after a heavy coat of manure, 
then topped with 25 bushels lime; sowed 
15 pounds of Alfalfa in the Spring, got a 
good stand, and mowed the next Spring 
about a ton of hay. but the next growth 
all turned yellow, and most of it died. It 
was Utah seed, and I concluded it was 
not used to our climate. The next year 
I raised potatoes on the piece. The fol¬ 
lowing Spring I plowed up and sowed to 
oats, cut the oats while in the milk for 
hay, then plowed and cultivated several 
times to kill all weeds—meantime I tried 
to find eastern-grown seed, and failed, 
but did ■ find imported European seed, 
Lucexn they called it, but said it was the 
same as Alfalfa. This I sowed about 
September 1, last Fall, 25 pounds to the 
acre, harrowing it in with a light harrow, 
then rolling. Apparently every seed 
grew, and a finer stand no one could 
wish to see. Early this Spring I gave 
it a light coat of manure; June 9 cut 
two very fair loads of hay, probably about 
\ l / 2 or 1J4 ton, and it is now about eight 
inches high, and growing rapidly; no 
yellow in it yet, but looks a dark healthy 
green. No inoculation for bacteria used. 
What we eastern farmers need, in my 
opinion, is acclimated seed. I am only 
about 230 feet above tide-water, and the 
change from 6,000 to 7,000 feet to prac¬ 
tically sea level was too great. My Eu¬ 
ropean seed was in all probability grown 
at no great altitude. S. 
Pennsylvania. 
SEEDING TO CLOVEN IN DELAWARE 
A. E. R., Delaware —I have a piece of 
corn that is also planted with cow peas, all 
to he cut for filling silo. Can I get either 
Alsike or Ited Clover to grow large enough 
to stand the Winter, by working the land 
after the corn is cut off, so as to give a 
hay crop next Summer? The corn would 
likely make 75 bushels to the acre and with 
the cow peas I am doubtful whether I can 
get any kind of grass to take under the heavy 
foliage. What rotation would you suggest 
to get from corn to grass and back to corn 
without wheat? 
I have had no experience with Alsike or 
Red clover, but here in Kent County we 
take off our corn and cow peas and seed 
at once to Crimson clover, say September 
1 to 15, the earlier the better, then back 
into corn in the following May after tak¬ 
ing off the clover for hay or silage. We 
have followed this rotation for upwards 
of 15 years on the same field, using 300 
pounds of rock and potash in the Fall, 
and a very light dressing of manure each 
Winter. This field would now yield from 
75 to 100 bushels of shelled corn per acre. 
F. C. BANCROFT. 
If the corn is planted reasonably early 
so the crop can be harvested for the 
silo by the last of August, I would im¬ 
mediately fit the ground in good condi¬ 
tion by double cutting with a Cutaway 
harrow, and after leveling sow one-quar¬ 
ter bushel per acre of the following mix¬ 
ture: Three-eighths Red clover, one- 
eighth Alsike, four-eighths Timothy. Un¬ 
der ordinary conditions the grass would 
live through the Winter. Should it, how¬ 
ever, fail, repeat the operation in early 
Spring, sowing the seed as before without 
any nurse crop, and a stand is assured 
with a prospect of cutting a fair crop 
of hay that year under favorable climatic 
conditions. Sowing the seed with corn 
and cow peas would result in failure on 
land producing 75 bushels of corn per 
acre. Charles barker. 
You are not likely to get any grass or 
clover to grow successfully seeded in 
corn as heavy as described. If the corn 
has been planted early the inquirer should 
have no difficulty in securing a perfect 
stand of Crimson clover after silage is 
removed, and on land such as described 
the Crimson clover should give a crop 
of hay next May of 2 T / to three tons per 
acre of dry matter. I very much doubt 
whether equal results can be had with 
Red clover or Alsike. In central Kent 
County Crimson clover, one year with 
another, can be sown on good well- 
drained soil as late as the first of Octo¬ 
ber with very fair results; with the best 
of results if sown the first: of Septem¬ 
ber. Pains should be taken to make a 
perfect shallow seed bed for the seed. 
Do not make a deep loose bed for the 
clover seed, and be sure to firm it well 
into the soil by the use of a roller; seed 
and roll at one time, faking care not to 
do it when the ground is too wet. 
S. H. DERBY. 
It is not likely that A. E. R. can get 
his corn and cow peas off in time to se¬ 
cure a stand of either Alsike or Red 
clover, but he could sow Crimson clover 
with a good prospect of cutting a fine 
crop of hay next May. „As soon as the 
corn is cut go over the ground thorough¬ 
ly, both ways, with a Cutaway harrow, 
and then with a smoothing harrow, then 
sow 15 pounds of Crimson clover seed 
per acre. If this clover is inclined to fail 
in A. E. R.’s neighborhood, it is prob¬ 
ably because the soil is acid, and if so a 
coat of lime. 20 to 30 bushels per acre, 
should be applied as soon as the corn is 
off. All this will require quick work. 
But if it were possible to apply a light 
coat of composted or rotted manure after 
or just before the clover seed is sown that 
would insure a crop of hay if the season 
should not prove unusually severe. If 
the soil is a heavy clay it may be impos¬ 
sible to get anything to stand sown so 
late, but rye might succeed. The rye 
or Crimson clover could be cut in time 
to follow next year with corn. If the 
clover succeeds the ground should be 
plowed as soon as the clover is cut, for 
it will be found to work up in fine shape. 
If allowed to dry out after the clover is 
cut, and the weather remains dry it may 
not plow up in good condition, or be so 
hard that plowing will be impracticable. 
WESLEY WEBB. 
Shaping Trees. —To men who grow or¬ 
chards in places where wind inclines them to 
grow leaning, I would say, when cutting 
back, or pruning trees, be sure to leave last 
bud or twig to grow on windy side of limb, 
and you will have a well-balanced top. I 
cut back young orchards in August, espe¬ 
cially peach trees. That checks the upward 
flow of sap, develops and matures the wood 
and buds. In so doing, I very seldom have 
trees or fruit buds winter-killed, o. e. c. 
Tompkins Co., N. Y. 
Killing Garlic —My farm was occupied 
by the Army in 1861 and 1865, and left a 
legacy of garlic which was unknown prior to 
the Civil War. Acres would furnish a swath 
to the mower equal to a light crop of Tim¬ 
othy. I found that garlic cut when in full 
bloom was as effectually killed as were it 
pulled; consequently I soon rid my fields of 
it. In places where I could not use the 
mower I pulled it after a heavy fall of rain. 
For more than 10 years it has ceased to be 
a nuisance, so easy is it to effect destruc¬ 
tion. Garlic cut before it is in bloom will 
continue to grow. The simple point is to 
cut when the strength of the plant is con¬ 
centrated in the flower, and thereby kill 
both root and branch. it. s. l. 
Ballston, Va. 
Berry Picking Rules. —The rules that 
must govern berry pickers depends largely 
on two things; namely, the grade of the 
berries grown and the “grade” of the pickers. 
There is not a large demand for “fancy” 
berries in my market, so I aim to grow a 
good crop of medium grade, such as may be 
grown witli good culture in wide matted 
rows. The pickers are mostly a fairly re¬ 
sponsible lot of boys and girls and young 
women, recruited from' the immediate neigh¬ 
borhood, being mostly farmers’ children. The 
only definite rules laid down are that they 
are to pick clean, not to injure the fruit: 
fill the box honestly, and finish the surface 
so as to present a neat and attractive ap¬ 
pearance. As the fruit is intended for the 
local market it is not picked until well 
colored. Beginners are closely watched to 
see that they start right. The most Important 
point in securing good work is to have a 
system of keeping accounts raat will insure 
easy inspection. I have tried a number of 
ways, and finally devised this method. Each 
picker is furnished with a pair of six-quart 
picking stands, both of which are marked 
with the same letter of the alphabet, and 
each pair with a different letter. The name 
of each picker and the letter of the carrier 
he uses are entered together on the tally- 
board. All berries must be delivered in the 
carrier, and left there for the inspection of 
the packer, who knows at a glance who is 
to blame if there is faulty work. When 
pickers are not plentiful it will be found ad¬ 
visable to employ some one to gather the 
filled carriers and convey them to the place 
of packing so that the pickers may not be 
interrupted with their work. 
Pennsylvania. d. l. hartman. 
c- 
A HEART TO HEART TALK 
With the Man Who Makes the 
BUCKEYE 
GRAIN DRILLS 
Mr, Farmer: —Let’s have a few minutes 
chat about that drill you’ll need for this sea¬ 
son’s seeding. 1 know l can tell you some things 
about Buckeye drills that will be valuable to you. 
Something familiar about that name? No wonder, it’s 
been going on farm tools for over 50 years. We have 
made this name famous simply by making farm tools that do better work; that 
last longer; that meet the farmers needs better than any other. 
There are reasons for this, and 1 want to tell you just what these reasons 
are. I’m going to begin with the Buckeye frame, because, like the frame to a 
house, the life of a drill depends very largely upon the strength and build of the 
frame. You see it’s the part that gets the wear and tear—the strain and jar— 
the part that carries the load. If it weakens, gets out of true—gives out in 
any part, your drill troubles multiply. 
That’s why we put so much brain and brawn 
into the Buckeye frame. It's made of square steel 
tubing without riveted joints or malleable corner 
pieces. It can’t weave, rack, loosen or get out of 
true. Weather can’t harm it and there’s nothing 
to give out. 
Ask the Buckeye Man to show it to you and 
your own eyes will do the rest. 
The next vital part is the driving and feeding 
mechanism. The Cone Gear on the Buckeye is a 
marvel. Absolutely accurate in regulating the feed; 
easy to change; powerful in driving; economical in 
wear. It’s construction does away with all 
interchangeable gears and annoyances com¬ 
mon with other styles. It’s always there when 
wanted and the saving it effects in repairs is a big 
item. Should breakage occur in the Buckeye feed 
from obstructions, it requires the replacing of the broken 
cone section only, while on others it means replacing the entire feeding device. 
Be sure to ask the Buckeye Man about this. It’s been imitated by many, 
but never equaled. There’s nothing “just as good.” Next is our Double Run 
Force Feed—a positive and perfect feed that can’t skip, choke or bunch. It has 
two compartments—one for sowing large grains—one for small grains. 
Now, a word about the Buckeye famous Non-corrosive Glass Fertilizer 
Distributor—the only fertilizer distributor that can't and don’t corrode from 
the acids in commercial fertilizers. It’s the £lass feed plate that does the 
work. Sows all fertilizers and fine manures and does 
not grind them into paste. Can change quantity 
without stopping machine. This is the only satis¬ 
factory fertilizer distributor in use and found only on 
Buckeye Drills. 
Ask the Buckeye Man to show you this and also 
our disc seeding device. Also our Shoe Drills 
with Chain or Gang Press Wheel Coverers. 
Now, Mr. Farmer these are some of the many 
reasons why the Buckeye Drills are so popular. They 
are reasons why you should buy Buckeye Drills. 
P. P. MAST & COMPANY Dept. Bl, Springfield, Ohio. 
