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PKOGRERSIVE FARMER-VOL. XX. NO. 6.
THE COTTON PLANT VOL. XXII. NO. 5.
RALEIGH, N. C MARCH 21, 1905.
Weekly $1 a Year.
Written for The Progressive Farmer.
ALFALFA AGAIN.
II. Some Further Inquiries Answered by Mr. Parker.
Messrs. Editors : Some further
;mnrios in regard to alfalfa have
come to me in addition to those an
swered in-last week's Progressive
Farmer and Cotton Plant.
Alfalfa In Tide Water Regions.
Mr. A. G. Walton, of Catherine
Lake, Onslow County, describes his
soils and wants to know about al
falfa succeeding there? He says his
land is only a few feet above tide
water. I have seen the statement
that on well drained land alfalfa will
succeed when the land is only some
five or six feet above water level. If
that is true, Mr. Walton should suc
ceed in Onslow. He writes that he
has both loamy and stiff soils under
laid with clay and wishes to know
which would likely suit alfalfa better.
As I have previously stated, I have
had experience only on clay soil. But
if I had both, as Mr. Walton has. I
slu uld try some on each, and in that
way determine which suited it best.
The plant is of sufficient value to
warrant experimenting with it in any
and all section? of the State. That
is the only way we can definitely
determine where it will grow success
fully. In a conversation recently
with Prof, Duggar, of the Alabama
Experiment Station, he told the
writer that there were considerable
lands in Alabama on which he had
not succeeded in making a satisfac
tory growth, but a great deal of the
land in that State grew the plant
finely, and that the acreage was rap
idly increasing each year.
DNklnjr Alfalfa Land.
A letter has also been received
from the Cottage Grove Farm,
Greensboro, N. C, describing a plat
of land that was put in alfalfa last
spring, and wishing advice as to fur
ther treatment of theland. This plat
was sown with thirty pounds of al
falfa seed on April 2d and had 400
pounds of inoculated soil brought
from Xew York applied some weeks
biter. It would have been very much
letter if the soil had been applied
J "st before the seed were sown,
and harrowed in with the seed. Be
ing put on later, at a time when it
was impracticable to harrow the in
oculated soil into the land already
seeded to alfalfa, it is but natural
that a great deal of the- bacteria wa3
destroyed from exposure to the sun
which to some extent destroyed the
efficacy of the inoculated soil. The
owner of this farm states that he
has given the plat of land a top
dressing of manure that has not
been exposed to the weather and
wishes to know if it will now be
well to work that manure in with
a disc or tooth harrow.
I have had no practical experience
in disking land after it has been set
in alfalfa, but intend disking some
three acres next week. I shall do
this upon the advice of Secretary F.
D. Coburn, of the Kansas Depart
ment of Agriculture. He says the
practice is very beneficial, causing
the alfalfa to stool and make strong
er plants than where they have not
been disked. This is illustrated by
the picture herewith which Mr.
Coburn has .lent The Progressive
Farmer. He advises setting the discs
nearly straight and weighting the
harrow so it will cut some two inches
into the soil, and disc the land thor
oughly both ways. He further says
that some practice disking the land
after each cutting of alfalfa. How
ever, I shall compromise on one disk
ing, early in the spring, just as the
alfalfa begins to grow. If I owned
Cottage Grove Farm I should pur
sue the same course.
The plant sent for examination
had ten branches, which is evidence
of vigor and good growth. The
alfalfa will doubtless be very much
'better this year than it was last
year. I shall be glad to hear fur
ther from" Cottage Grove Farm as to
their experience with alfalfa.
Alfalfa Does Not Overrun Land.
O. W. W., of Branchville, S. C.,
writes that he has a small plat in
alfalfa and wants to know if there
is any danger of stock scattering it
from one field to another. There is
no danger whatever of getting it
scatered in that way. He will need
to cut it as soon as bloom begins
to appear, so there will be no seed
in the hay to get scattered.
I am glad to see this tendency of
our farmers to investigate and ex
periment with new crops. It shows
that we are trying to get out of the
old ruts, and also that we are not
wedded to cotton.
Concluding Observation.
Prof. Kilgore, of our own Experi
ment Station, told me last week that
alfalfa was a success at the Experi
mental Farm in Edgecombe County. (
At first it was feared crab grass
would overrun it, but at last the al
falfa seems to have asserted its su
periority over the crab grass and
seems to have taken possession of
the .land. I also saw a letter in the
Southern Planter where some gen
tleman in Sampson County is suc
ceeding admirably with it.
f mention these experiments i
growing it from the Eastern coun
ties because there seems to be an
idea that it will be more difficult
to succeed with it there than in the
clay setcions of the State.
It is the purpose of the writer to
Seed can be procured in any quant
ity, and I can procure bacteria at $2
for enough to inoculate an acre. For
the convenience of many who are
wanting to try just a small plat for
experimental purposes, I am arrang
ing to get inoculating material and
treat seed and send out in that way.
Alfalfa seed, nitro-culture, inocu-
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i M '4
V I t i L 1 t i' 1 ftp ' ;. I
E .- - A - T 3' - 4 ."V.- 1 - a ' "
F " T - v "'Ti" - (t fin m m inn i - i '
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Alfalfa plant on upland, four years old; seventy stalks from one root.
Height of plant, thirty-six' inches. Shows effect of disk-harrow in split
ting crown. Taken May 28. (Cut loaned by Kansas Agricultural College.)
continue his investigations in regard
to alfalfa, and will assist any one in
terested in any way he can. I am
having inquiries for small quantities
of seed, and for small quantities of
bacteria. Some persons have gotten
the impression that I am sending out
free samnles of each. In thi3 con
nection I wish to emphasize the fact
that I do not send out any samples at
all.
lated seed, inoculated soil, are all
offered in the advertising columns
of The Progressive Farmer.
Any one contemplating planting"
alfalfa this spring should lose no
time in preparing their land so as to
have it ready when the time to sow
arrives, which will be about the time
of early corn planting. '.-
T. B. PAItKEK.
Ealeigh, K C.