om sowing alfalfa in the spring and early summer, otherwise the plants
do not become sufficiently well established to withstand the rigors of
the winter following. Under some conditions, sufficiently satisfactory
results follow sowing in the early summer, even in Northern latitudes.
Where the winters are sufficiently mild and the moisture is sufficiently
plentiful, early autumn sowing, as in August or September, according to
the locality, is, all things considered, the most satisfactory, for the
reason, first, that it follows, or may follow, a crop grown the same
season; second, that the plants are less hindered in their growth by
weeds when they are young; and third, that they produce crops of soiling
food or hay the first season after sowing. Many weeds do not grow in
autumn and winter; hence, the less injury done by them to alfalfa
plants, since the latter are so strong by spring that they overshadow
the weeds in their effort to grow. When alfalfa is sown at such a time,
the growth of one year virtually is gained by the process.

North of parallel 40 deg., that is, north of the latitude of Columbus, Ohio,
and Denver, Colorado, speaking in a general way, alfalfa is more
commonly sown in the spring, but not usually so early as clover, lest
the young plants, which are more tender than clover plants, should be
nipped by spring frosts. This danger is frequently present in the region
of the upper Missouri. East of the Mississippi it may usually be
advisable to sow in the spring some distance south from the latitude
named. West from the same are areas where early autumn sowing is
frequently the best. In much of the Southern and Southwestern States,
early autumn sowing is considered better practice than spring sowing,
but to this there are exceptions. Under some conditions alternate
freezing and thawing of the land near the surface tend to throw out
young plants, as, for instance, those autumn sown, more readily than
plants from spring-sown seed.

Alfalfa is usually sown much the same as medium red clover (see page
75), but there are the following points of difference: 1. Since alfalfa
is more commonly sown in dry areas, it is more important, relatively,
that the seed shall be buried more uniformly and deeply in the soil in
such areas. 2. Since it is liable to be more injured, relatively, by a
nurse crop than the clovers, it is more frequently sown without one.
And 3. Since it is expected to furnish food for a much longer te