1906.] DISCUSSION. 237 



Dr. Jenkins. I do not think that clover nodules in them- 

 selves will materially assist the success of alfalfa, yet the land 

 on which a crop of red clover is grown will be more apt to 

 raise a successful crop of alfalfa. I should think so. I should 

 say if the soil had sufficient lime, or the right kind of plant food 

 for leguminous plants in it, alfalfa would succeed. In other 

 words, I should expect more success on that kind of land, but 

 not, so far as we know, by any transfer of bacteria from one 

 root to another. 



The President. I would like to ask Professor Shaw to 

 say something about this matter. 



Prof. Shaw. Mr Chairman and Gentlemen: 



As the time is so far gone I will not say very much on this 

 question, although I have thought a little about it and have had 

 some experience in growing alfalfa. The thought came to me 

 when Dr. Jenkins was referring to the fact that sweet clover 

 would grow in dry places in different parts of the State, 

 whether alfalfa w^ould not grow in the same localities. I won- 

 der if anybody has tried it. I will qualify that by saying that 

 it is quite possible for sweet clover to grow in the west in 

 certain localities, and alfalfa grown on that same land and un- 

 der the same conditions will not grow well. I apprehend it is 

 because the sweet clover has more power to gather nitrogen 

 from the soil than the alfalfa; that it would be necessary, in 

 order to be quite sure of success, to enrich the land thoroughly 

 by applying some fertilizer, and especially, I should say, of 

 farm manure. 



Now if the bacteria are not the same, and scientists seem' to 

 be agreed on that, for growing sweet clover as for growing al- 

 falfa, it seems to me that all that would be necessary would be 

 simply to enrich the soil. I hope that some one of the farmers 

 in this State will find that out. Dr. Jenkins is undoubtedly in a 

 good position to do it, and it seems to me to be a piece of infor- 

 mation that will be of some service to the farmers of this State. 

 I believe that alfalfa is going to be grown right up in the 



