. Cyclopedia of farm crops. Farm produce; Agriculture. Fig. 277, Allalfa Fig. 276. Dodder on alfalfa (after first cutting). the proportion of one and one-half pounds of alfalfa to one pound of bran. It affords excellent pasture tut must be grazed with caution, as cattle are likely to bloat, espe- cially if turned on when hungry or when the alfalfa is wet. It is Well adapt- ed for soiling pur- poses, but is little used for silage unless continued rains prevent field curing. In common with other leg- umes it is a val- uable soil-renova- tor, although in the West it is rarely turned u
. Cyclopedia of farm crops. Farm produce; Agriculture. Fig. 277, Allalfa Fig. 276. Dodder on alfalfa (after first cutting). the proportion of one and one-half pounds of alfalfa to one pound of bran. It affords excellent pasture tut must be grazed with caution, as cattle are likely to bloat, espe- cially if turned on when hungry or when the alfalfa is wet. It is Well adapt- ed for soiling pur- poses, but is little used for silage unless continued rains prevent field curing. In common with other leg- umes it is a val- uable soil-renova- tor, although in the West it is rarely turned un- der, the fields sometimes re- maining in alfalfa fifty years. The hay is sometimes ground and sold as alfalfa meal, either pure or mixed with prepared concen- trates such as bran, corn chop and molasses. A considerable saving in freight rates is effected by this process, as the ordinary bales are too bulky to be shipped to the best advantage. For ordinary shipment the hay is baled 110 cubic feet to the ton. For transoceanic shipment double compressed bales are used (fifty-five to eighty-five cubic feet to the ton). Causes of failure. The causes of failure may be stated under three heads, as follows: (1) General. — Lack of at- tention to soil requirements, preparation of ground and care the first year. (2) Weeds.— Fox-tail and crab-grass in the Middle West, June-grass (Poa pratensis) in the North, Johnson grass and crab-grass in the South. The remedies for these are the use of clean land, frequent mow- ings and occasional diskings. (3) Inoculation.— Lack of inoculation (humid sections) is often a cause of failure. Har- rowing in soil from an old alfalfa field at seeding time is the natural method and gener- ally successful. The disadvan- tages of this method lie in the difficulty of transporta- tion (100 to 400 pounds per acre) and the danger of intro- ducing weeds and plant dis- eases. The commercial cul- tures formerly on the market. Please note that these images are
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