17 



These loess bluffs rise rather abruptly from the rich and fertile Missouri 

 bottoms aud extend as undulating hills for several miles east. In 

 this region, which is comparatively narrow, a peculiar vegetation 

 exists, peculiar at least for the State of Iowa. It is more western 

 than eastern. It is here that alfalfa has succeeded best, and is 

 perhaps destined to play an important part in the agriculture of 

 the counties bordering on the Missouri. There are some difficul- 

 ties to contend with in Carroll aud Harrison counties, and this is 

 true also to some extent in Pottawattamie County. The humidity 

 of the atmosphere is somewhat greater than in Woodbury County. 

 Accompanying this humidity there is a greater rainfall, and a 

 greater rainfall makes the plant more subject to the attacks of the 

 Spot Disease {Phacidium medicaginis). This fungus disease causes 

 a premature falling of the leaves, and hence lessens its value as a 

 forage plant. 



Alfalfa is the most valuable acquisition to the leguminous forage plants 

 of jS^ebraska. The frequency of naturalized specimens throughout 

 the region in which I made observations certainly indicates that 

 the plant is at home. Fine fields of it were observed not only in the 

 lowlands along the Kepublican Valley, but also ou the uplands. Its 

 culture, however, was most successful on the Hood plains of the 

 river and under irrigation. It produces a fair crop without irri- 

 gation some years, but on the uplands, year after year, it can not 

 be depended on. In the Eei)ublicau Eiver Valley the water level 

 is from 8 to 10 feet below the surface. The roots easily reach this 

 depth. Under favorable conditions three crops can be cut in a 

 single season, but where the field is irrigated three crops are cer- 

 tain, and I was informed that it affords almost twice as much 

 money return per acre as corn. A farmer with 40 acres of irri- 

 gated alfalfa can make a comfortable living in this part of the 

 State. In the country east of the semiarid region considerable 

 alfalfa has been grown, and, so far as I was able to learn, with 

 good success. No other perennial forage plant has given to the 

 farmer of this region the same amount of satisfaction as has 

 alfalfa. It is certainly destined to play an important part in the 

 forage problem in Nebraska. 



Alsike Clover {Trifolium hybridum) is occasionally grown in Iowa, 

 but is not as yet common. It is spontaneous in many places and 

 is best suited for rather low grounds, frequently associated with 

 White Clover and Bed-top. It will probably never take the place 

 of Red or White Clover in the State. 



Barnyard grass {Panieum crns-galli). This grass, although usually 

 regarded as a weed, is frequently used as a forage plant in western 

 Iowa. It occurs abundantly as a roadside and garden weed in 

 central Iowa, and is a conspicuous grass in sloughs and in corn- 

 fields in the Missouri bottoms. Hundreds of tons of this grass 

 3828— No. 2 



