WESTERN OREGON
ALFALFA CULTURE
Soil, Seed and Culture, Import
ant Factors in Growing Good
Successful Crop
PROF.
SCUDDER
T E LL S
HOW
Second Year is Hardest Year and
Should Not Cause Discouragement
to Grower.
In view of the growing interest in
alfalfa production in different parts
of Oregon, the following information
Alfalfa in Western Oregon.
concerning the culture and care of the
crop, prepared by Professor H. D.
Scudder, of the Oregon Experiment
Station, may be very helpful to farm
ers not fully informed as to the most
approved methods.
^
A deep, naturally well drained soil,
clean of weeds, is to be preferred. The
soil should be sweet. If sour, it should
be dressed in March with an applica
tion of two tons of ground limestone
per acre, or one ton of quick lime,
water slacked, the same to be
thoroughly disked in after applying.
The need for liming can be deter
mined by testing the moist soil with
neutral litmus paper, which may be
obtained of any druggist. A strip of
litmus paper pressed between two
pieces of moist soil indicates acidity
and need for lime if the paper turns
pink. Agricultural lime at present
prices is too costly to be used exten
sively, but for small trial acreages
of alfalfa the liming is advised, al
though successful alfalfa crops fre
quently have been obtained without
liming.
In southern Oregon, of
course, the soils are seldom if ever
acid, and liming is not required.
The seed bed should be double-disk
ed, then plowed either in the fall or
early spring, thoroughly re-disked
again after plowing in the spring, and
then kept thoroughly cultivated until
seding time in May—a seed bed well
pulverized on top but firm underneath
being the object. A dressing of well
rotted manure at the rate o f six to
eight tons per acre may be thoroughly
disked in during February or March
after the ground has been plowed.
Fresh manure should be avoided un
less free of weed seed.
Tested, dodder-free seed, prefer-
•ably Dakota-grown, such as the Mar
tin’s Acclimated (Disco 38) or the
Baltic, which may be secured o f the
Dakota Improved Seed Company,
Mitchell, South Dakota, is recom
mended. The common variety o f al
falfa, northern grown seed, such as
the strains named, is superior to any
other variety for Oregon conditions.
The seed should be inoculated be
fore sowing, with alfalfa culture,“
which may be obtained of the O. A.
C. department of Bacteriology.
The seeding should be at the rate
L,eft, unirrigated; right, irrigated.
of 15 to 18 pounds per acre of good
seed, broadcasted with a chest seeder
or wheelbarrow seeder or the like,
and then lightly but thoroughly har
rowed in, pains being taken not to
cover it more than an inch and a half.
No nurse crop of any kind need be
used and no live stock should be al
lowed to pasture on the alfalfa the
first year.
Folowing seeding the ground is
rolled and then lightly harrowed again
the rolling particularly necessary if
the soil is loose and over dry.
The alfalfa the first year should be
clipped as frequently as necessary to
keep down the weeds, the cutter bar
being set 4 to 5 inches from the
ground, and the clippings, if not too
heavy, being left on the ground.
In the spring of the second year the
ground should be thoroughly culti
vated with a disk harrow set straight
and run crosswise, followed by the
peg tooth harrow. If the soil lacks
fertility, a top dressing of well rotted
manure ought to be given during Feb
ruary or March. Fresh manure will
not do, on account of danger of weeds.
It should be remembered that the
second year is generally the most dif
ficult one for alfalfa in Western Ore
gon, as the tap roots are then fight
ing their way through the heavy sub
soil. Hence, the best of care should
be given that year and the crop not
plowed up even if it does look weak
and a failure.
SEEDING POINTERS
FOR THIS FALL
Unusual Conditions li e q u i r e
Special Seed and Cultural
Methods
LATE
RAINS
THE
CAUSE
Fall Sown Grain Stools bub Little
After October 15, Requiring More
and Better Grain.
they were to lay off altogether for
the remainder o f the term their posi
tion would still be secure. The Octo
ber 1 report shows that they are 245
eggs ahead of the nearest com
petitor, not counting the other O. A.
C. pens— a lead that cannot now be
overcome.
The three Oregon College pens con
tinue their lead, Leghorns first, Ore-
gons second and Barred Rocks third.
The Oregons are 52 ahead and the
Rocks 16 ahead of the closest pen,
Adams’ Sanada White Wyandottes.
The College Rocks suffered an acci
dent last month when one of them
was accidentally killed, that may af
fect their lead. The ten highest pen .
records for the first 1«
months
of the contest are as follows:
Eggs
Oregon Agricultural College
White Leghorns ................
1554
Oregon Agricultural College
Oregona .................................... 1361
Oregon Agricultural College
Barred Plymouth Rocks ....... 1325
Adams, Canada, White Yyan-
dottes ..................
1309
Bonnie Brook Farm, N. Y.,
White Leghorns ............
1212
Dean Bros., B. C., White Wyan
dottes ...................................... 1205
McCord, Calif., Rhode Island
Deds ...............................
1197
Tom Barron, England, White
Leghorns ................................. 1184
Shupe, Washington, Leghorns.. 1150
Sherman, Lebanon, Ore., Plym
outh Rocks .......................
1149
Owing to the lateness of the fall
rains and the consequent delay in
getting grain, vetches, etc. Heeded, it
will be necessary to take rather un
usual precautions in order to get a
sufficient stand of crop to produce a
good yield next year.
First, the seed should be very care
fully graded and fanned in a good
fanning mill and grain grader in or
der to eliminate all small, shriveled,
weak and damaged seed as nothing
but the large seed will germinate well
at this late season after the soil has
cooled off. All the wheat, oats and
barley seed should be treated for smut
in order to eliminate any difficulty
with that disease. The treatment
should be made now so that seeding
will not be delayed at all when favor
able weather comes.
Since the seeding is now about one
These are the highest gens for the
month late, it will be necessary to
month of September:
use more than the normal amount of
....
Eggs
seed per acre. Late-seeded grain nev
McCord, Calif., Rhode Island
er stools out or branches out as much
Reds .........................................
124
as early-seeded grain. The ordinary
Oregon Agricultural College
rates of seeding which are good from
White Leghorns ...................
120
September 15 to October 15 are as
Haynes, Idaho, White Wyan
follows for average grain under good
dottes ......
I ll
average western Oregon conditions:
Adams, Canada, White Wyan-
Winter wheat—6 to 7 pecks.
dotthes ......................
109
Winter barley—7 to 8 pecks.
Dean Bros., B. C., White Wyan
Winter oats—8 pecks.
dottes ...........................................
99
Winter rye—5 pecks.
Oregon Agricultural College
Vetch and oats (mixed half and
Barred Plymouth Rocks ...........
98
half by volume)—2 to 2%
Shupe, Washington, White Leg
bushels.
horns ....................................
Vetch alone— 60 to 80 pounds.
Tarbox, 111., Silver Wyandottes
94
After October 15 when these plants
Robinson, Calif., Barred Plym
do not stool out or branch out freely,
outh Rocks ...................................
90
considerably larger quantities o f seed
Oregon Agricultural College
must be used if a good stand is to be
Oregons ........................
secured. The plantings should then
The ten highest individual hen rec
be as follows:
ords, seven being O. A. C., for the
Winter wheat— 8 pecks.
period
to Oct. 1 are:
Winter barley—8 to 9 pecks.
Eggs
Winter oats— 10 pecks.
Sherman, Lebanon, Oregon,
Winter rye— 7 to 8 pecks.
Oregon Agricultural College
Vetch and oats (mixed half and
Barred Plymouth Rocks .....
195
half by volume)— 2% to 3
Oregon Agricultural College
bushels.
White Leghorns ....
193
Vetch alone—80 to 100 pounds.
Oregon Agricultural College
In this way, by getting more seed
White
Leghorns
...................
189
per acre and more plants per acre,
Oregon Agricultural College
there will still be a sufficient stand to
Oregons ........................!.........
187
make a good crop though the plants
Tom Barron, England, White
do not stool out as much.
Leghorns .................................
178
In addition to having nothing but
Oregon Agricultural College
good, heavy, clean seed, treated and
White Leghorns ..........
175
free from smut and using a sufficient
Oregon Agricultural College
quantity o f it to guarantee a stand,
Oregons
................
164
the depth o f seeding should be shal
White Leghorns .....................
164
low. After the rains begin and the
Dollenbacher, Wash., Black Mi
soil cools off considerably, germina
norca .....
163
tion takes place much more slowly at
Oregon Agricultural College
two to three inches deep in the soil
Barred Plymouth Rock .........
161
than it does at one inch. Many plants
will not germinate at all three inches
SECOND RE G IM E N T FORM ED
deep in the soil but will give an ex
cellent germination when planted near
the surface. Therefore, all o f the
Owing to the fact that more cadets
seeding of the various plants men
at the O. A. C. are reporting for mili
tioned above should be made shallow,
tary drill this year than ever before,
preferably not deeper than an inch.
a second regiment has been formed
In this way, better germination and
with one battalion of four companies,
stronger plants and a better stand
Godfrey R. Hoerner, of Seattle, has
may be secured. These latter rates
been placed in command, with the title
of seeding are not applicable to the of Lieutenant-Colonel.
ordinary year but are necessary in
this excentional year when th e'fall
TO T E ST C O W S N E X T MONTH
rainfall is so light.—G. R. Hyslop,
soils and crop specialist at O. A. C.
(Milton Eagle.)
Testing of cows by the expert of
OREGON H ENS CLINCH
the Walla Walla Valley Cow-Testing
HOLD ON FIR ST PRIZE
association, will be commenced Nov.
1, according to announcement last
Oregon Agricultural College, Cor week. Another meeting o f the di
vallis, Oct. 25.—With but six weeks
rectors will be held October 23 at the
of the Panama-Pacific Exposition egg-
Commercial Club, Walla Walla, to se
laying contest to be run. the O. A. C.
lect the expert who will do the work.
White Leghorns have firmly establish
One or two more herds could be ac
ed themselves in first nlace. Even if
commodated in the association.
96
87