Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 187, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 August 1913 — ALFALFA CULTURE [ARTICLE]

ALFALFA CULTURE

By J. C. Department of Boils and Crops, Purdue Agricultural Experiment Station. The interest in alfalfa culture Is rapidly Increasing in Indiana. Farmers are realizing more and more that much of the profit In livestock husbandry lies in the production of homegrown feeds, especially the leguminous crops which furnish feed of a high protein content By growing crops like alfalfa, dairymen and other stock feeders may greatly reduce the need for purchased grain of high protein content, and thus greatly reduce the cost of production. It is sometimes hard for the man unaccustomed to feeding alfalfa to fully appreciate Its worth. But few can realize the great value of this crop until feeding results have proven to them that It is worth as much aa wheat bran for feeding milch cows and sheep. When farmers know that they can grow four or five tons of alfalfa to the acre that is worth aa much as wheat bran then they will be willing to spend, a few dollars an acre to get a field started. Alfalfa culture Is not so difficult If the needs of the crop are well under stood and given careful attention. But without careful consideration of Its needs, there will be. many failures this year, just as there have been in previous years. With good drainage, sufficient lime and organic matter, Inoculation and plant food, there will be no failures, but the lack of any one of these essentials la sure to result in failure. Land that Is sufficiently well drained tor corn and wheat may or may not be well drained for alfalfa. On ao-

count of the deep rooting habit of alfalfa, which makes it susceptible to “soil heaving,” tt requires better drainage than Is needed for corn, wheat or clover- Alfalfa will not thrive successfully on soil that remains saturated with water several days after a rain. Therefore, when selecting a field for this crop see that the one chosen is well drained. Lime is so essential to the snocess of this crop that few fields Bhonld be seeded without lt v It is probably safe to say that lime would now greatly benefit general farm crops on more than 30 per cent, of the land In Indiana, and certainly alfalfa nafeds lime more than other crops. The far vorable results obtained from lime are so universal that we nearly always recommend that an application of two or more tons of finely ground limestone be made to each acre before seeding to alfalfa. Lime corrects acidity, improves the physical condition of the soil and increases bacterial activity; all of which aid in increasing the growth, vigor and durability of this greatest of all hay plants. While organic matter is not so important as drainage or lime, its presence in the soil greatly increases the growth of the crop and a fair supply of this ingredient is essential to the proper bacterial activity. Furthermore, organic matter increases the moisture absorbing and retaining power of the soil and by so doing increases the supply of moisture available to the plant This makes a more vigorous growth of alfalfa and a larger crop of nay. To supply this, rye, oats, cowpeas, soy beans, clover or any other green crop may be turned under. When sufficient barnyard manure Is available there is nothing better, because it adds both organic matter and plant food. Unless the soil is already well supplied with organic matter, it should by all means be added in some way. “One thing thou lackest yet, go sell what thou hast,” If necessary, and buy phosphorus in some form. Acid phosphate, steamed bone meal or phosphorus in some other available form should be applied at the rate of 200 to 400 pounds per acre. Potash in small quantities may also be used to good advantage especially on sandy and sandy loam soils. With careful attention given to its needs, alfalfa will produce from 3 to 5 tons of the highest quality hay per acre each year.