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MIDSUMMER FARM CATALOGUE

ALFALFA
The Wonderful Clover that is called "Queen of Orasses"
HOW TO GROW AND USE IT IN THE CORN AND CLOVER BELT

A~D

CLOVER BELT.

In many sections of the country Alfalfa is the most important of all forage plants, and
takes first place in value to the f armer and feeder. While we can do without it in the
clover growing sections of the middle west, there is a place for it on every farm, and it
will be found extremely useful and profitable if handled in the proper manner. It cannot
take the place of other clovers as a part of a short c rop rotation or as a quick restorer of
fertility to the soil, but as a permanent meadow it will be found much superior to timothy
and clover as generally used. This superiority is because it is much richer in flesh-form-
ing elements than the grasses n a med, a nd with its use a balanced ration for all kinds of
stock is secured. It is because of the cheapness of production, and because of its adaptability as a good item in any needed ration for all kinds of live stock, that it is conceded to '
be the most valuable grass which we can produce.
SO'W THE SEED

I~ SU~nIER.

In Iowa by far thl' greater part of the seeding is made in August, as by seeding at this
time l an d can be utilize d that has already produced a crop of grain. The young plants a lso
begin to make their growth .after the hot days of summer are past and are not so likely
to be burned up from excessive sun heat. In ordll1ary years th e young plants win r eac h
n early a foot high; sufficient size and maturity to stand the winter witout loss thou ah if
sown too lat e it is likely to get winter killed because of imm aturity at time 'Of fro"'st .
PLAN'I' ON GOOD GROU~D.

Don't try to grow alfalfa , _________-:--:-___________-;-_______,
on wet, sour soil, or on soil
with compact clay· sub-soil.
Select the well-drained, porous soil, so that the roots
m ay have no trouble to develop.
They must make
growth to a depth of ten or
more feet, or the crops are
curtailed and the plants are
not permanent. Upland is
better than bottom land, as
it is not ' usually so heavy.
Land that has grown some
variety of dover r ece ntly
within two or three years)
is preferable. Sweet Clover
is usually considered th e best
preceding crop but Common
h' h h i s th
t bl' h
red Mammoth 'or Alsik e clovers all furnish the bacteria w IC
e P d e es a IS ment of
Alfalfa plant ~, and make almost certain th e securing o! a goo~ stan.
HO'V TO PREP AilE 'I'HE SEED BED.

r:l

ake the .seeding.
The field sel ected for Alfalfa should be cu ltivated a year ~ef3r~'you
e l t ,. ISC fn cross diSC thoroughly pulverizing the soil about 3 inches dde"p d(':':'\'o~o~~ve to ~10~~ pl;~e~t~r to PTIOhv
unless the ground has be come closely packe ,an I .
11 t 0 deeply a th
ow.
e
best authorities agree that it is not wise to breal< the so
0
,
s
e young plants

If you seed in spring (April) take a part of the corn or oats)