732 Grasses and Leguminous Crops in New York 



We became convinced that in order to grow alfalfa upon heavy 

 soils we must use the spreading-root varieties, the seed of which 

 was very scarce and expensive. In order to facilitate the gTowing 

 of alfalfa on the hardpan volusia silt soils, our railroad in 1913 

 distributed a small amount of seed to each of about fifty farmers 

 that owned hardpan land and were anxious to grow alfalfa. For 

 this purpose the Grimm alfalfa was selected, Fig. 675, showing 



Fig. 677. — " Lehigh " Alfalfa. A Falcata Vabiety, from a Plant Found 



ON Right-of-way of the Railroad. 



a typical two-year-old Grimm plant with the spreading root, which 

 holds it in hardpan soils. This seed was to be put out in plats 

 twenty-eight inches apart, for the purpose of producing seed. 

 Without an exception, these plats were successful ; although put 

 out under most adverse conditions, there was no report that there 

 was any considerable heaving in any one of them. In several 

 cases most successful crops of seed were taken, sufficient in at least 

 four cases to seed ten acres. In addition to this some of our 



