The Book of Alfalfa: History, Cultivation and Merits: Its Uses as a Forage and FertilizerCoburn, F. D. (Foster Dwight)
History
The Book of Alfalfa: History, Cultivation and Merits: Its Uses as a Forage and Fertilizer
Coburn, F. D. (Foster Dwight)
Alfalfa
_Prof. W. M. Liggett, Director Minnesota experiment station._--Our
experience with alfalfa has extended over 12 or 15 years. In the early
days of this station, it was not very successfully grown. During the
past eight or ten years, however, the changes in soil due to manures and
cultivation and the discovery of several varieties of alfalfa which
appear to be hardy, have made it possible to grow it successfully in
nearly every part of the state. For the past five years we have cut
three crops of alfalfa hay, yielding from 4 to 5¹⁄₂ tons per acre each
year. With the land properly prepared and some attention given to
seeding at the right time, there is no difficulty in growing it on the
state farm. Occasionally it will winterkill. We were unfortunate enough
to have a heavy, driving rain during March of the present year which
froze as it fell and smothered the alfalfa crop. We are not discouraged,
however, as the clover crop in southeastern Minnesota was killed at the
same time and from the same cause. We regard alfalfa just as sure as Red
clover. It is sometimes a little difficult to get a stand under careless
methods of farming. With the land nicely prepared and with a good supply
of humus in such condition that the plant food is readily available,
strong, vigorous growth and a good stand can be secured during any
normal year. We have alfalfa growing at the northwest sub-station at
Crookston, and in several localities in the northwestern part of the
state, where even clover is not supposed to grow. The outlook at the
present time for this crop is very bright. Dairymen, swine raisers and
sheep men unite in praising its merits as stock food.
MISSOURI
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