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!PBCISSIVI and 0?e bottom Plant LfiMJltl-NSlVE FARMER VOL. XX. NO. 5. ill K COTTON PLANT VOL. XXII. NO. 4. RALEIGH, N. C MARCH 14, 1905. Weekly $1 a Year. rittt n for The Progressive Farmer. ALFALFA AGAIN. Mr. Parker'Answers Further Inquiries as to the Successful Growing of This Important Crop. The many letters received since my article on alfalfa was published in The Progressive Fanner in Novem ber indicate the widespread interest in new and promising crops that naturally belong to a progressive peo ple Since writing the article referred to, I have read letters from all sec tions f the Tnion and have seen n. .tiling that detracts from the high .Minion that I had formed of this wonderful plant. However, there is one suggestion, and that i-: it will he will for each jmt-oii who contemplates trying al falfa, if none has been grown in that particular vicinity, or if the experi menter is not to some extent familiar with it, to experiment with it in a mall ra. rather than plant largely until he finds out whether or not his lands are adapted to it. Observation and experiment lunv that all land are not equally adapted to its best growth, and it may be possible that cerlain lands cannot be made to grow it profitably; hence the importance of trying it at first on a small scale. You MiihI Inoculate Lund or Seed. Again, I think it will be money tlm-wn away to plant it without first inoeulating the soil, or the seed be fore sowing, with the necessary bac teria. There are two ways in which this can be done. The first is by proeuring soil from a field that has grown successfully alfalfa for some years, and spreading on the land to he i lanted. This should be done on a cloudy day so the action of the sun will not kill the bacteria before it can he harrowed into the land. The sec ond and least expensive- plan is to P roe u re tiie bacteria culture and in eulate the seed before sowing them. 1 h proeess is so simple that any lie who can read plain instructions can make the required inoculation. IhU bacteria has been obtainable from the Agricultural Department W ahington, free of cost, for cx " rimental purposes, but a letter just received from that Department an iuiircs that no more will be avail ahh. this spring, except to those who have previously applied. Persons wishing to experiment with the bac ' ria this fall can make application i" the Department after July 1st, stating what crops they wish to ex periment with. However, this bacteria has been put on the market by reliable per sons who are making it for com mercial purposes, and can be bought for $2 per package enough to inocu late seed for one acre. This culture can be had for inocu lating clover, peas, beans, vetch, etc., at the same price, but most of our Southern soils already have the nec essary bacteria for some of these crops, therefore it would be useless to buy it for any crop that already grows successfully on land intended to be planted. Again, this bacteria is intended only for the crors mention ed, and not for other crops. That is, it would be useless to apply it to corn, cotton, wheat, the grasses, oth er than tie clovers, or any crop ex cept the leguminous crops. But for any of them it is indispensable where the land already contains the bac teria. I'se Stable Manure. Another suggestion at hhis point, ami that is, put stable manure on the land where possible. I know there is a well-grounded, to some extent, prej udice against using stable manure with this crop on account of infest ing the land with grass seeds, espe cially manure from horses fed on hay, and particularly crab grass hay, but I firmly believe the benefits to be derived from such manuring will far outweigh any bad results from grass seeds. I cannot better express the importance of stable manure than to quote from the March number of the Southern Planter. The editor, in writing about manure that had been exposed to the weather and had lost much of its fertilizing properties by leaching, says: "In point of fact such manure has lost the greatest part of its fertilizing elements by the leaching of its soluble salts and the loss of its nitrogen by fermenta tion, still the mechanical and physi cal improvement it makes in the land renders it valuable. Its chief worth, however, depends upon the presence of bacteria, which it holds in great numbers. These are of two kinds, one operating near the surface be cause they can only work in the pres (Continued on Page 5.) HOW ALFALFA GROWS. rm rm m Alfalfa plant, taken June 11th. Koot nine feet and nine inches in length; l.r0 stalks. This plant was nine years old, and grew in high up land having a stiff hard-pan subsoil; water ISO feet below surface. In digging, after the first foot of soil was taken away, a pick had to be used the entire depth. (Cut loaned by Kansas Agricultural College.) Alfalfa plant having 312 stalks from one root. Taken May Gth; growing in high upland, stiff hard-pan subsod, lbU feet to water. Plant ten inches high; eight years old. (Cut loaned by Kansas Agricultural College.)