Annual report of the Agricultural Experiment Station of the University of Minnesota . Fig. 4.—Alfalfa Seed Pods Harvesting:—Alfalfa for hay should be cut when one-third of the blossoms have appeared, because at this stageit makes the best quality of forage. It should be raked upinto windrows when somewhat wilted, and never allowed todry out before being raked, because then it does not cure sowell and most of the leaves will be broken off in should be handled so as to preserve all the leaves sincethey are the most valuable part of the plant. In a dry sea-son, it can sometimes be pla
Annual report of the Agricultural Experiment Station of the University of Minnesota . Fig. 4.—Alfalfa Seed Pods Harvesting:—Alfalfa for hay should be cut when one-third of the blossoms have appeared, because at this stageit makes the best quality of forage. It should be raked upinto windrows when somewhat wilted, and never allowed todry out before being raked, because then it does not cure sowell and most of the leaves will be broken off in should be handled so as to preserve all the leaves sincethey are the most valuable part of the plant. In a dry sea-son, it can sometimes be placed in the barn or stack the dayafter cutting, but it will usually be a better plan to a allowthe hay to stand in cocks a few days. HARVESTING. 155. Fig. 5.—Device for stacking hay. Figure 5 >ho\vs the device used for stacking alfalfa onthe farm of Mr. A. B. Lyman, Excelsior, Minn. The uprightpiece is made to turn freely, and the pulley at the base is soplaced that as the load is drawn up, the iope pulls the armaround so that the hay is deposited in the center of thestack. Alfala seeds rather uncertainly; the second crop isusually better than the first for seed production. For seedit should be cut when the seed pods turn dark, and shouldbe handled in the same way as is clover for seed. The yieldis from two to four bushels per acre. 156 ALFALFA. OBSERVATIONS FROM FARMERS. Before venturing on the chemical stucty of the crop itwas thought best to determine to what extent it was grownin the state and gain some information as to its this purpose letters were sent out early in the summerof 1902 to certain farmers and stockmen throughout thestate, requesting them to give any information they couldas to the
Size: 1470px × 1699px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectagriculture, bookyear
