P'oRAGE Crops For Thk Colorado Plains 
9 
ditions. When selected in this way seed may be taken from irrigated 
regions. 
Preparation of the Seed Bed .—Alfalfa is a crop that is going to 
occupy the land for some years, so every possible precaution must be 
taken to get it started with the desired stand. In order to do this the 
seed bed must be prepared. It is necessary to get moisture into the seed 
bed before it is safe to put in the seed. There should be moisture 
enough to carry the crop for some months without additional rainfall. 
To accomplish this purpose the soil should be moist to a depth of at 
least two feet before plantings are made. Of course it is understood 
that rains are always liable to come and wet up the soil. It is also well 
known that rains may fail to come for periods of three months. In 
order to be on the safe side, alfalfa should be planted only in soil that 
is properly prepared, with the right amount of moisture to start the 
seed off and keep the crop growing for a period of at least two or 
three months without help of rainfall. In preparing such a seed bed 
it is frequently necessary to adopt the summer fallow. The land should 
be plowed thoroly and deeply. It is well to disk the soil immediately 
after the plowing in order to flatten the furrow slice. 
Alfalfa does best on land which has been plowed and then after¬ 
wards well packed. The surface should be left granular rather than 
fine and dusty. The granular or ‘‘small cloddy” surface not only takes 
up the moisture which falls better than a dust surface but it protects 
the moisture supply present much better and is in very much less dan¬ 
ger of blowing. When the seed bed has been properly prepared and 
has a sufficient supply of moisture present, the soil is ready for plant- 
ino" 
In most of our plains districts the rainfall is such that the best 
moisture conditions prevail between March and the first of July. On 
a properly prepared seed bed seeding may be done with safety any time 
from early in April until the first of July—preferably April and May 
seeding if the seed bed is in condition, because the alfalfa will grow 
better if it has a root system started before hot weather of July and 
August, and planting should be done in rows 3 to 3^4 feet apart. 
Where the prevailing winds are north and south the rows should be 
planted east and west. In other words, wherever the lay of the land 
will permit, the rows should be crosswise of’the direction of the prevail¬ 
ing winds. 
Seed should be put in with some sort of a drill. It is possible to 
rig a corn planter by using extra seed cups from some of the grass 
seeder attachments with which many of the modern drills are equipped. 
With Baltic and Grimm seed, if the soil is properly prepared, one- 
half pound per acre, with rows 3^ feet apart is sufficient. With most 
methods available probably about two pounds will be planted, because 
of the difficulty of regulating the drop so as to drop less. Careful, 
patient, mechanical farmers can devise ways of reducing the rate of 
