PREPARATION FOR ALFALFA SEEDING. 
Thorough Drainage an Essential. 
PRELIMINARY TREATMENT.—About 30 years 
ago the first tile drainage was done on this farm, and 
this although not known or thought of at the time was 
the most important step to be taken in preparing the 
land for growing Alfalfa. The first field selected for 
this crop was the one which was the most difficult to 
work cropping tools or farm implements over, also the 
poorest soil of any on the farm. During the 11 years 
the crop has been grown 
many things have been 
learned about producing 
it that have led to the de¬ 
velopment of the plan 
mapped out for seeding 
a field this Spring. The 
field proper comprises 12 
acres, 5 T /2 of which has 
been cropped to Alfalfa 
for two years, the re¬ 
maining 6 x / 2 acres to be 
seeded this Spring. The 
most important thing to 
know is whether there is 
sufficient tile drainage to 
make it safe for Alfalfa 
This crop is the most 
certain of all crops to in¬ 
dicate when there is suf¬ 
ficient tile drainage to 
make the growing of the 
crop sure. It has been 
the custom for years 
where clover sod was 
broken for corn to tile 
the spots that showed up 
too wet for pleasant cul¬ 
tivation. While this plan 
would work out all right 
for the usual staple crops 
grown on the farm, it 
was not sufficiently per¬ 
fect for Alfalfa grow¬ 
ing. To know with cer¬ 
tainty just where more 
tile was needed was to 
test it with Alfalfa. Al¬ 
tai fa grown on land for 
two Winters will almost 
always plainly define by 
frost-lifting of the Al¬ 
falfa where the land is 
too wet. The question 
may often be asked why 
not do a complete job of 
tiling before trying to 
grow Alfalfa. It is 
hardly possible to do this 
for the reason that the 
farmer’s judgment is too apt to be at fault as to the 
amount of tile needed, as nearly all men doing this 
work are careful not to do more than is needed, while 
the frost action on the Alfalfa will make no mistakes. 
And another point about land like this on this farm, 
until perfectly drained wet spots are apt to develop 
year after year in unexpected places. Observation will 
prove this to be true in a variety of cases. 
CONTINUED TILING.—Starting with the field 
first sown that was drained for safe growing of other 
crops, it developed that for six years more tile must 
be put down each Spring, each time putting down 
when the frost action of the preceding Winter showed 
that it was needed. This continued tiling seems to 
have completed the work. In the field to be seeded 
this Spring it is expected to find places that will need 
more tile; 100 rods of tile was purchased for this 
supposed need last Fall, and it was hoped to do part 
of the work then, but the wet places were not clearly 
enough defined for it to be undertaken. After plow¬ 
ing, if the places show up plainly and other work 
does not crowd too much the work will be done. If 
it cannot be done the work will have to wait for an¬ 
other year, allowing the appearance of the Alfalfa to 
show where the tile is needed. Objection will be made 
to this because of the Alfalfa destroyed by cutting 
the drains. This loss is nothing as compared with the 
loss each year by frost actiop. If the work is 
promptly done when the Alfalfa shows that it is 
needed the loss by frost will not be serious. It is 
much better and cheaper to put down the tile than 
to leave a crop of Alfalfa as a protection or mulch 
against frost. To mulch the crop by taking the water 
away from the roots is the sure way to reach success. 
The greatest objection to this plan lies in the neces¬ 
sity of filling the ditches by hand shoveling. Still 
this is not a very costly job, as it must be promptly 
done while the thrown-out soil is still loose. By the 
time a crop is well grown the lines of the drains will 
be obscured by the Alfalfa. 
R\ E BEFORE ALFALFA.—This field has had a 
heavy crop of rye hogged down on it in which Red 
and Alsike clover grew three feet high, last season in 
pasture, but not pastured close; besides this a good 
top-dressing of manure. This will be the first land 
plowed this Spring with the hope to have the Alfalfa 
sown by the middle of 
April. But the weather 
prospect now, March 13, 
does not promise that 
this will be possible. 
There is an opportunity 
to sow this field to peas 
for the canning factory, 
with a prospect of a re¬ 
turns reaching as much 
as $50 per acre to an ab¬ 
solute failure. There is 
time after the peas to 
start the Alfalfa. But I 
do not feel that the 
stand will be as sure to 
be a good one as if sown 
this Spring. A first- 
class stand, lasting for 
four or five years’ cut¬ 
ting, may overbalance by 
far the profit secured 
from an average crop of 
peas. If weather condi¬ 
tions make it advisable 
to plant the corn before 
the Alfalfa is sown it 
will be done. 
SOIL TREATMENT. 
—With the tools and 
teams at hand the 
ground can be quickly 
prepared for the Alfalfa. 
While the plan to be fol¬ 
lowed is an unusual one, 
if it succeeds it will be 
a very valuable one for 
Alfalfa growers. A solid 
seed bed with loose soil 
on top will be prepared, 
and the Alfalfa sown at 
the rate of 15 pounds 
per acre through the 
grass-seed box of a hoe 
drill before the hoes. 
The solid seed bed will 
prevent too deep cover- 
in of the seed. There 
will also be sown 
through the grain box 
three pecks to one bushel of Winter rye. The rye 
will sprout quickly, as will the Alfalfa, both coming 
on together and holding in check all weeds and 
grasses. It is supposed that about the last of June 
or early in July the rye will all die. As it will grad¬ 
ually fade out of life the Alfalfa will gain strength 
and make rapid growth. There is not much evidence 
back of this scheme, but sufficient for me to feel safe 
in making it. By the time the Alfalfa is ready to 
cut the rye will have dried up so completely that it 
will not be in the way of hay-making. Of course it 
is to be developed how much grass and weeds will 
THE HIRED MAN WITH THE STEEL BACK PITCHES ON. Fig. 215. 
BUNCHING HAY IN A GOOD DRYING WIND. Fig. 216. 
