Grains And Forage Crops
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A Summer Hay Crop
What can I put on the land after the oat crop is taken off to furnish hay for horses during the coming winter? I had thought millet would be good. I have water for irrigation. You could get most out of the land you mention during the hot seaso... Alfalfa And Alkali
I sowed several acres of alfalfa seed with a disc this season and none of it has come up. I think the reason for it not coming up is that the disc put it into the ground too deep. We sowed some by hand and it came up very well. Is there any prob... Alfalfa And Bermuda
I have land which was seeded to alfalfa some 15 years ago and has been pastured continuously until it was almost all Bermuda. I had it thoroughly plowed, disk harrowed and sowed to oats; disk harrowed in, and drag harrowed. After cutting for hay... Alfalfa And Overflow
How long can alfalfa stand water without being drowned out? I have a piece of alfalfa on which the water will stand for considerable time in the winter time. Alfalfa while dormant will endure submergence for several weeks. We do not know exac... Alfalfa And Soil Depth
Do you consider soil which is from 4 to 6 feet deep to hardpan of sufficient depth for alfalfa? Is there hardpan in the region of Lathrop in San Joaquin county, and can it be dissolved by irrigation, or can any good be accomplished by blowing ho... Alfalfa Hay And Soil Fertility
We are feeding all our hay to dairy cows, returning the manure to the soil. At present prices of hay, my neighbors who sell theirs, seem to be as well off, with considerable less work; but how about the future? Can this soil be cropped indefinit... Alfalfa On Adobe
Is adobe land good for alfalfa? Is it harder to start than in other soils or not? How much seed is required to sow an acre? Also state what time alfalfa should be sowed. Alfalfa will thrive on an adobe soil if the moisture is kept right - esp... Alfalfa Sowing With Gypsum
I intend sowing alfalfa this fall on land that has some very compact hard spots. I aim to doctor these spots with gypsum at the rate of about 1000 pounds per acre and cultivate the gypsum in thoroughly two or three weeks before sowing the alfalf... Alfilaria And Winter Pasturage
Will alfilaria (Erodium cicutarium) grow well on the hills of Sonoma county partially covered with shrubs? I want something that will be food for stock another year. I have heard of alfilaria and that it grows well without being irrigated. Al... Barley And Alfalfa
I have some alfalfa which is a poor stand. Can I disc it up heavily and seed in some barley for winter pasture? You can get barley into your alfalfa as you propose, but you should not seed until fall. The more barley you get into your alfalfa,... Barley On Moist Land
What would you do with land subject to overflow by the Sacramento when that river rises 20 feet, and which you wanted to plant to barley this season? Would you take a chance on the river rising that high this year, or wait until after that dange... Beets And Potatoes
Which is the best for dairy cows, plain red mangels or a cross between these and sugar beets? Can you suggest a more profitable variety of potato than the Oregon Burbank? If you can get a cross which gives you more tonnage than a mangel and a ... Beets For Stock
Will sugar beets grow on black alkali land? How many pounds of seed per acre should be used and when is it time for sowing in the San Joaquin valley? Which kind would be best for cows? Beets will do more on alkali than some other plants, but t... Bermuda Grass
What is the value of Bermuda grass as a forage crop for cattle, more particularly dairy cows? Bermuda grass is generally condemned because of getting in places where it is not desirable and of being almost impossible of eradication therefrom.... Bermuda Objectionable
Bermuda grass as pasture for summer to supplement burr clover and alfilaria in winter on the cheap hill pasture lands along the coast or the foothill ranges of the Sierras. Stock like it and do well on it, and I have noticed it growing in places... Black Medic
Will you kindly name the enclosed; also explain its value as forage! The plant is black medic. It has been very widely distributed over the State during the last few years. It is sometimes called a new burr clover, which it somewhat resembles.... Buckwheat Growing
Two or three farmers in this locality desire to plant buckwheat. Not having done so heretofore they are in doubt as to the soil and other conditions that go to make a successful crop. ... California Insect Powder
What part of the plant is used in making insect powder and how is it prepared? Is the plant a perennial? What soil suits it best? The plant is Pyrethrum cinerariaefolium and has a white blossom resembling the common marguerite. The powder is m... California Winter Pastures
We have a great deal of pasture land on which the native grasses yield less feed each year. A great part of this land can be cleared of brush and stone, ready for the plow, but what can we sow to take the place of the native pasture? The ground ... Canadian Or Niles Peas
I send a sample of peas which I bought for Canada field peas, and they were so labeled. I would like to know what they are. The peas are, apparently, one kind of Canada peas. There is some variation in Canada peas, but these are peas of that c... Cheap Preparation Of Land For Alfalfa
I am about to put a piece of land into alfalfa, and want to use the most economical system of preparing the land for irrigation. My neighbors tell me that it will be necessary for me to have the land leveled; at a cost of $6 to $10 per acre. Now... Chevalier Barley
Has Chevalier barley more value to feed hens for egg production than common feed barley or wheat? Chevalier barley is no better for chicken feed than any other barley which is equally large and plump. Brewers like Chevalier because of its ful... Clover For Wet Lands
What kind of alfalfa will do best on sub-irrigated land which is very wet? I have sown it in alfalfa and it grows finely for two or three years, but then the roots rot and die. It is impossible to make any kind of alfalfa grow well on very wet... Clovers And Drought
I have sandy loam with some alkali. In wet years it is regarded as too damp in some places. Can you give me any information on the following points? I have practically no water for irrigation and I feel sure that alfalfa would not grow without i... Clovers For High Ground-water
Where, in California, is alfalfa being raised successfully above a water-table of, say, 4 feet or less, and are any unusual means used to accomplish this? Over a high water-table, the alfalfa plant will be shorter lived according to the shall... Corn Growing For Silage
With fair cultivation, will an acre produce about 10 tons of ensilage without fertilization - it being bottom land? How should it be planted? - the rows closer together than 3 feet, or should it be planted the usual width between rows, and thick... Cover Crop In Hop Yard
Will you please give information concerning cow peas or the most suitable crop to sow in a hop field for winter growth, to be plowed under as a fertilizer in the spring? Also, would it injure the vines to be cut down before they die, so as to so... Cow Peas Not Preparatory For Corn
What time of the year can cow peas be planted, and can the entire crop be plowed under in time for planting field corn? Cowpeas are very subject to frost. They are really beans, and therefore can be grown in the winter time only in a few pract... Cowpeas And Canadian Peas
Would Canadian field peas and cow peas be valuable as a forage crop for cows and hogs; also as fertilizer? Please tell us also when to plant, how to plant, etc. These plants are of high forage value as cow feed; also as a soil restorative whe... Cowpeas In The San Joaquin
How late in the season will it be profitable to plant cowpeas? What is the best manner of planting? Are there several varieties? If so, which one is best adapted to plant after oats? The land can be irrigated until about August 10. Will it be ad... Crimson Clover
About crimson clover in California. Has it proved satisfactory? If so, can you give me data how to plant, etc.! Crimson clover must be sown after frost, for it is tender. It will give a great show in June and July on low moist land. It is not ... Cultivating Alfalfa
When is the best time to cultivate alfalfa, and how often during the season is it advantageous to do so? Which is the best implement to use? Cultivated alfalfa is a term applied to alfalfa sown in rows and allowed to grow in narrow bands with ... Curing Alfalfa With Artificial Heat
It is current rumor that "out in California they are hauling alfalfa green and curing it by artificial heat," thus reducing loss through bad weather and producing a superior hay for feeding or milling purposes. It is true that alfalfa is being... Don't Get Crazy About Special Crops
I want information about flax as a crop. I have been having some land graded for alfalfa and I have had to wait so long I am now doubting the advisability of seeding it all under these conditions until fall, as hot weather will soon come. I want... Dry Plowing For Grain
We have land that we could very easily plow now with our traction engine and improved plows, but the people here claim that it does not pay to dry-plow, that is, before the land has had a good rain on it and the vegetation has started. I believe... Dry-land Alfalfa
I am in a country of strictly dry farming. I have a wash or gulch on my place and would like to know if I could, with success, plant it to alfalfa without irrigation; soil is sandy loam, no evidences of springy moisture at all. What kind should... East? The Annual Rainfall Is From 12 To 15 Inches
The perennial grasses which they rely upon for pasturage in the East and which will maintain themselves from year to year, will not live at all on the dry lands of California, nor has investigation of the last twenty-five or thirty years found anyth... Eastern Seed Corn For California
The question has been raised as to Eastern-grown seed corn, comparing it with California-grown seed. Some claim that the former does not yield well the first season. We cannot give a complete refutation of the impression that Eastern seed cor... Experiment Station
... Fall Feed
Can I irrigate and plant a forage crop n July to feed dairy cows this fall and winter? Would you recommend cow peas or some kind of sugar corn? If cow peas, how many pounds to the acre? If you wet down the land thoroughly and then plow and har... Fall Sowing Of Alfalfa
We have summer-fallowed land which we know will grow good alfalfa, and as we have just had four inches of rainfall upon it, we were wondering if we could not plow the twenty acres and get a stand upon it in time to stand the cold weather this wi... Forage Plants In The Foothills
We have 3,000 acres of foothill land and hope to be able to irrigate some land this spring and wish to know the best forage crops, for sheep and hogs, especially. Kafir corn, stock peas, rape, sugar-beets and artichokes are the varieties about w... Foxtail And Alfalfa
Will foxtail choke out and exterminate alfalfa? Some fields look as though the foxtail had crowded the alfalfa out, but I hold that the alfalfa died from some other cause and the foxtail merely took its place. Foxtail will not choke out alfal... Frosted Grain For Hay
The freeze struck us pretty severely. I had 125 acres of summer-fallowed wheat which I had estimated to make 20 sacks to the acre of grain. It was breast high in places already, and was just heading out. The frost pinched the stalks of this grai... Giant Spurry
I would like information about spurry. How much frost will it stand? What is time for sowing? Its value as crop to plow under? From a California point of view, spurry is a winter-growing weed which has been approved by orchardists in Sonoma co... Grasses For Bank-holding
We desire a grass to be used on levees, to keep from washing. Bermuda or Johnson gross are dangerous to farming lands. What we desire is a grass that will grow in good dirt with no water to support it during most of the year, except the annual r... Growing Cowpeas
What is the best variety of cow peas for a forage crap? I want a variety which with irrigation will come up after it has been cut, so as to keep growing and not be like some which I tried last year. They grew up like ordinary garden peas and wer... Growing Vetch For Hay
How many pounds of vetch seed should be sown to the acre? How many tons per acre in the crop? As I desire to change my crop, having to some extent exhausted the soil with oats, how advisable will it be to sow wheat with the vetch to give it some... Handling Young Alfalfa
I have alfalfa that is doing very well for the first year. My soil is sandy loam with light traces of white alkali, although it does not seem to be detrimental to the growth thus far. I am in the dairy business and will have by winter enough man... Heating And Fermentation
Please explain why dampness will cause anything like hay, Egyptian corn or other like products to heat. Heating is due to fermentation, which means the action upon the vegetable substance of germs which begin to grow and multiply after their ... Hurry-up Pasture
What can I plant this fall which would produce pasturage for a small amount of stock this winter, and until I can get the land under irrigation and seeded to alfalfa? For quick fall and winter growth nothing is better probably than oats and v... I Have Light Sandy Loam On Which I Desire To Grow Forage For Chickens
... I Wish To Know If There Are Possibilities Of Broom-straw
All the broom-corn which has been successfully produced in California has been produced on moist, riverside land. The plant is a sorghum - consequently subject to frost injury, and can only be grown during the frostless season as Indian corn is. Thi... Improving Heavy Land For Alfalfa
My land is very heavy, red loam, and crusts over very hard in dry seasons. I would like to know if it would be best to use barnyard compost over the surface as a mulch, or would it be best to use plain straw for that purpose? A very heavy soi... Inoculating Alfalfa
Is it profitable to inoculate alfalfa seed before planting to increase its yield? Can it be done by leaching soil from old alfalfa ground, providing it has been plowed up and allowed to stand for a year? Are commercial inoculants a safe thing to... Irrigating Alfalfa
I am making parallel ridges for alfalfa, sending a full head of water down to the end of the field between each ridge. Should I calculate the lands to be mowed one at a time in even swaths? The mower being 5-foot cut, would you count on cutting ... Irrigation For Corn
What amount of water is necessary per acre for the best possible yield of corn under acreage conditions and proper cultivation in the San Joaquin or Sacramento valleys? No one can answer such a question with anything more than a guess. It dep... It Is Good On Shallow Land Over Water Where Alfalfa Roots Decay Etc
Though we have no exact figures, we should expect to get about two-thirds as much weight from it as from an equally good stand of alfalfa. ... It Lies Too High For Irrigation
You could probably grow alfalfa to advantage if the soil still deep and loose, getting less, of course, than by irrigation, but still an amount that would be very helpful in your chicken business. Otherwise, as the land lies higher and perhaps out o... Italian Rye Grass
What kind of grass is enclosed? Also the best method to eradicate it? The grass is the Italian rye grass, or as it is sometimes called, the Italian variety of the perennial rye grass. It is proving a very satisfactory grass in California for m... Jersey Kale
... Johnson Grass
I am informed that Johnson grass makes fine hay. I have not sown the seed yet, but would like to know if the hay is good and if it will grow on dry land. I have the seed on hand, but do not want to sow it if it is not good. Johnson grass is p... Kaffir And Egyptian Corn
Does Kaffir corn yield as well here as Egyptian corn? The fodder is good feed and the heads stand erect and at a more even height from the ground, which makes three advantages over Egyptian. Irrigation in either case is the some. The reasons ... Late-sown Sorghum
How late can Egyptian corn be planted on good sediment soil capable of growing 40 to 50 socks of barley per acre in good years with ordinary rain? The field was cut this year for hay on account of rank growth of wild oats, after irrigating; land... Light Soil And Scant Moisture
Advise me as to plowing under a crop of last year's weeds where I intend to plant beans, corn, etc. The soil is "slickens," on the Yuba river, and the weeds grew up last year in a crop of volunteer barley, which was hogged off. I expect to plow ... Loose Hay By Measure
How many cubic feet should be allowed for a ton of alfalfa hay loaded on a wagon from the shock? I must sell more or less in that way, as no scales are near enough to be used. It is a proposition, as to the weight of loose hay, which could of ... Loss Of Tomato Bloom
I have tomato plants which are very strong and healthy and full of blossoms, but there is something cutting the blossoms off and just about to ruin my plants. The trouble with your tomato plants is that life is too easy for them, that they ha... Midsummer Hay Sowing
Can I sow oats or barley in July upon irrigated mesa land, with the object of making hay in the fall? Which of the two would do the better in summer time? I have plenty of water. We have never seen this done to advantage. If you desire to try ... Mossy Lawns
What will destroy patches of moss which are spreading over our lawns and apparently destroying the grass? More sunlight would have a tendency to discourage the growth of moss on a lawn. If this is not feasible, irrigation less frequently but a... Need Of Corn Suckering
To insure the best crop of corn possible, does it pay to sucker it or not? The removal of suckers is a matter of local conditions largely in California, and growers are getting out of the habit of suckering. In some places suckering is needed... New Zealand Flax
Give information about Phormiun tenax (New Zealand flax), which I see is imported to San Francisco in large quantities yearly for making cordage and binder twine, and is said also to be the best of bee pasture. Can I get the plants on the coast,... No Grain Elevators In California
Is California wheat shipped in bulk or in bags at the present time? There are no elevators in this State, owing to the fact that hitherto grain cargoes have been acceptable to ship only as sacked grain, because of claimed danger of shifting ca... No Home-made Beet Sugar
Is there any simple process of making sugar from beets so that I could make my own sugar at home from my own beets while sugar is so very expensive to buy? There is no simple way of making beet sugar. It can only be economically done in facto... No Nurse-crop For Alfalfa
Is it advisable to use oats with alfalfa seeds in seeding for alfalfa? Some growers of alfalfa here advise it strongly, others advise against it. The general experience in California is decidedly against using oats, barley, or any other nurse... Pasturing Young Grain
Would it be advisable to herd milch cows for a few hours each day on a field of black oats which is to be grown for hay? The oats are now about four inches high and rank, as the land was pastured last year. The land is sandy, rolling soil and wi... Please Inform Me How To Plant Jersey Or Cow Kale
Jersey kale can be planted by thin scattering of seeds in rows 2 1/2 feet apart so as to admit of cultivation, or the plants can be grown just as cabbage plants are and set out 2 1/2 or 3 feet apart, the squares to admit of cultivation both ways. T... Poultry Forage
... Probably Not Broom-corn
I have a side-hill ranch on which I would very much like to raise broom corn. The soil produces good grapes, fruit, corn, oats, peas, etc., and ... Put It Through The Silo Cutter As Soon As You Can Get It From The Field
Do not let it cure at all, and be sure to cut and pack well. If at all dry, use water at the time of filling, and some salt then also, if you desire. There is no danger of firing if you put it in with good moisture, and by short cutting and hard packi... Rape And Milo
Would rape be a good pasture crop sown broadcast? If so, at what time should it be planted? Will Milo maize grow profitable in Sonoma county? Rape can be sown as soon as the land gets moist enough from early rains to start the seed and hold th... Red Clover For Shallow Land
What can you say of red clover on shallow soils in the Sacramento valley under irrigation? How many crops, etc.? Red clover is fine under the conditions you describe. We could never understand why people do not grow more of it on shallow land ... Reseeding Alfalfa
This spring I planted alfalfa and only got about half a stand on some of the land. I want to reseed this fall and I thought of putting more seed on the ground and then disc it in. Or would you advise replanting the land? What do you think of put... Rotations For California
I wish to work out a practical system of crop rotation suitable to the climate and conditions obtaining in southern California. Would you recommend different systems for grain lands and irrigated lands? General schemes of rotation are hard to ... Rye For Hay
When is the best time to cut rye for hay, and how should it best be handled? Would it be well to cut it up and blow it into the barn, and would it do all right for silage? Rye makes poor hay on account of its woody stems and must be cut earlie... Rye Grasses Better Than Brome
I see in an Eastern seed catalogue "Bromus Inermis" very highly spoken of as pasturage. Do you know anything of it, and do you think it would be suitable for reclaimed tule land in the bay section? Both English and Italian rye grasses have pro... Rye In California
Which kind of rye is the hardiest, the best yielding, and the best hay varieties in your State? Rye is the least grown of all the cereals in California, and no attention has been paid to selection of varieties. That which is produced is "just... Sacaline
My attention has been brought to a plant called Sacaline by an Eastern plant dealer. He states that this plant will grow in any kind of soil and needs practically no water. The plant Sacaline (Polygonum saghalience) was introduced to Californi... Salt Grass And Alfalfa
I have some land in Sutter county and it has some of this salt grass in spots. I am about to take a twenty-acre piece and put in alfalfa, but some old-timers tell me that the salt grass on it is bad stuff to handle. Your trouble will probably... Scattering Grass Seeds
We live on the west side of Sonoma valley, and want to seed some of our fields with a good wild grass. We want to carry bags of it in our pockets to scatter when we ride. Timothy we should like, but this is not its habitat, is it? Can you sugges... Siloing First Crop Alfalfa
How about putting first cutting of alfalfa and foxtail into the silo? Do you think there is any danger of fire in a wooden silo, and do you add salt and water when filling, and how long after it is cut would you advise putting it into the silo? ... Smutty Sorghum
The various plantings of Egyptian corn on the ranch have turned smutty, very much after the manner of wheat and barley. Is there any unusual reason for this, or could irrigation have caused it, and what is the best method of preventing it? So... Soil For Alfalfa
What kind of soil is best for alfalfa on a dairy ranch? An ideal soil for alfalfa is a deep well drained soil into which the roots can run deeply without danger of encountering standing water or alkali. Still we are finding that alfalfa is ver... Sorghum Planting
What is the best time to sow Egyptian corn; also how much per acre to sow? All the sorghums, of which Egyptian corn is one, must be sown after frost danger is over - the time widely known as suitable for Indian corn, squashes and other tender... Sorghums For Seed
Which sorghum is the most profitable to plant for the seed only White Egyptian, Brawn Egyptian or Yellow Mila? Which sorghum is best is apparently a local question and governed by local conditions to a certain extent. Egyptian corn (with the g... Sowing Alfalfa
What is the proper time to sow alfalfa? Some advocate fall and others spring sowing. What seasons are given for each sowing? We shall undoubtedly soon get to sowing alfalfa all the year round except in the short season of sharp frosts and cold... Speltz
I have heard of a Russian grain called "Speltz" or "Emmer." Can I raise it successfully and, if so, what is the very best time of year to sow some for the best crop obtainable? Can it be sown in the fall, say November? Would springtime be a bett... Spineless Cactus
There seems to be two distinct kinds of cactus: One for forage, the other for fruit. It is claimed by some people that the spineless cactus is more valuable as a forage plant than alfalfa. What is your opinion? There are many varieties of smoo... Sub-varieties Of California Barley
Can you tell where I can buy seed of varieties of California six-rowed barley, described as "pallidum" and "coerulescens," and what the seed will cost? No one knows where the six-rowed barley, known as "common" barley in this State, came from... Suburban Alfalfa Patch
How can we rid the alfalfa of weeds? As we are obliged to hire help, and do not succeed in getting the hay cared for until we have mostly stalks without leaves, I have put the cow on it to pasture it off. The cow knows how to handle it, but yo... Summer Start Of Stock Beets
How can I make Mangel Wurzels grow in hot weather? The land is level and can be irrigated by flooding or ditching between the rows. How often should the water be applied, and which method used? The land is in fine shape; a sandy loam bordering o...