New YorK AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. es 
falfa fields. It begins to grow as soon as the snow goes off in spring 
and becomes conspicuous during April as a green carpet covering 
the ground between the alfalfa crowns. It may make sufficient 
growth to add materially to the bulk of hay in the first cutting. 
Curled dock (Rumex crispus L.) is not troublesome in alfalfa 
fields. ‘The following account of an experience with dock at the 
Station brings out prominently two important points in regard to this 
weed: (1) The danger of spreading it in manure; and (2) its in- 
ability to endure in an alfalfa field. In the autumn of 1900 a strip 
of corn stubble on the Station farm was spread with manure made 
from hay purchased of a neighboring farmer. The following spring 
the manure was plowed under and the land seeded with alfalfa. In 
June, 1902, curled dock came up thickly among the alfalfa. A count 
made in an average part of the field showed 209 dock plants per 
square rod. By June 11 the dock had thrown up its flower stalks 
which towered above the alfalfa causing the infested strip to stand 
out prominently in contrast with the adjacent non-infested fields 
of alfalfa on either side (See Plate XXIV). The first cutting was 
made June 12 before the dock had ripened any seeds. This was the 
end of the’dock. At the time of the second cutting, made about 
August 1, not a single dock plant was to be seen. Neither did any 
appear the following season. ‘The history of the land and the char- 
acter of the seed being fully known there can be no doubt that the 
dock came from seeds in the manure. 
The best method of dealing with the weed problem is to free the 
land of weeds as thoroughly as possible before sowing alfalfa. This 
is accomplished in various ways. ‘The crop preceding the alfalfa 
should be one which permits of thorough cultivation as, for example, 
corn or cabbage, and no weeds should be allowed to ripen seed. If 
stable manure is used it should be well rotted and plowed under. 
The use of manure as a top-dressing just before sowing alfalfa is. 
usually objectionable because of the weeds which are introduced 
with it. The land should be plowed in early spring and thoroughly 
fitted. It should then be harrowed at frequent intervals until seed- 
ing time to induce the germination of weed seeds in the surface 
layer of the soil. The time of seeding should be governed some- 
what by the weediness of the land. If the land is reasonably clean, 
June I is a suitable time for seeding; while on weedy land, later 
seeding (about August 1) gives better results. 
When proper cleaning of the land has been neglected so that 
weeds come up thickly and threaten to smother the young alfalfa 
