1906.] ALFALFA IN CONNECTICUT. 219 



ALFALFA IN CONNECTICUT. 

 By Dr. E. H. Jenkins. 



Alfalfa is no new thing in Connecticut. It has been tested 

 now and then and here and there in the State for twenty-five 

 years or more with no success, so far as I can learn, until very 

 lately. 



The facts that it is a success in the West, that if it could be 

 grown here it would be a great boon to all our dairymen, and 

 that comparatively recent study and observation have shown 

 reasons why earlier tests have not succeeded and how we may 

 hope to succeed where we failed before, have caused a great 

 revival of interest in it. 



The Station has made a number of careful trials with it in 

 various places, and the aim of this paper is to notice some 

 things which must be done in order to get a good stand of al- 

 falfa and incidentally to show that in this State, at least, it is 

 a difficult and painstaking matter to start the crop. It is no 

 such easy thing as if often represented. 



THE MERITS OF ALFALFA. 



About its yield and its fodder value little need be said, for 

 they are constantly emphasized as chief reasons for its exten- 

 sive use. From fields of more than an acre, where the alfalfa 

 had been three years on the land, an average of 13.8 tons green 

 weight per acre were harvested at the New York Station, con- 

 taining over 1,100 pounds of protein. 



In New Jersey the yields on carefully measured fields have 

 ranged from 18 to 24^ tons of green matter, or 4.4 to 7.2 

 tons of alfalfa hay per acre. 



The Colorado Station reports an alfalfa crop which yielded 

 about twice as much dry matter as a corn crop on an equal 

 area and similar soil, and four times as much protein. The 

 corn crop was called a fair one, yielding 14 tons of green fod- 

 der ; but this is in a country where, I imagine, alfalfa will grow 

 much tetter than with us and com will not yield as well. 



The Canadian farmers report from 12 to 24 tons of green 

 fodder, or 3 to 6 tons of hay. 



The figures which I have here, but need not read in detail, 

 show that a moderate crop of alfalfa, 18 tons, green, contains 

 1.7 times as much protein as 28 tons of green corn fodder, and 

 four times as much as three tons of hay of good quality. 



