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
_Dr. H. J. Wheeler, Director Rhode Island experiment station._--Alfalfa
culture in Rhode Island is a very uncertain undertaking. A few persons
have occasionally met with some success, but the majority of experiments
have been failures because: (1) Most of the soil in this state is too
deficient in carbonate of lime to enable alfalfa to succeed even if
other conditions are favorable. (2) It is occasionally almost destroyed
by clover leaf spot. (3) The general culture of alfalfa in this state
cannot be made successful even if all of the conditions aside from the
climate are made favorable. Farther north where the snow falls before
the ground freezes and remains until the opening of spring, this plant
can be grown successfully. Farther south where the changes are less
severe, the same is true. In Colorado and other places where irrigation
is practiced, if it is desired to get rid of a field of alfalfa, the
ground is flooded after it is frozen and the freezing of water over the
surface accomplishes what is desired. In Rhode Island it not
infrequently happens that we have in winter a considerable fall of snow.
A warm southeasterly rain may fall which transforms it very shortly to
slush. In a few hours the temperature may drop to zero or below.
Sometimes rain which falls freezes over the surface, forming a solid
coating. These conditions in this state destroy the alfalfa just as the
flooding does it in the West, and while alfalfa may be carried
successfully through the winter, if the season is favorable, I believe
the chances are too great to make it a promising crop. Last winter we
carried some through successfully and have done so once or twice before,
but my advice to Rhode Island farmers is to grow the clovers, soy beans,
and possibly cowpeas rather than attempt to embark in growing alfalfa
until it has been definitely shown by experiment that the climate and
other conditions can be successfully combated.
SOUTH CAROLINA
_Prof. C. L. Newman, Agriculturist South Carolina experiment
station._--We have, to some extent, had remarkable success with alfalfa.
On the old exposition grounds at Charleston, over six tons of cured hay
were cut last year on one acre. This year one cutting afforded 4.15
pounds of cured hay. In the upper portion of the state, alfalfa is grown
with considerably greater difficulty. At Anderson, the county seat of
Anderson county, there is an alfalfa field that was sown 65 years ago
and it still affords some return.
SOUTH DAKOTA
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