No. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 323 



the seed with the bacteria, and then, just as soon as possible, 1 

 would spread the seed out on the barn floor and I would get it dry 

 as quickly as I could and sow it at once; that is the way I would 

 do it. 



MR. PHILIPS: Personally, I have little knowledge of alfalfa; 

 but it is an important question in the institutes all over the State. 

 Prof. Cooke is not present or I would let him talk. He has been 

 eight years — I think that is the number — as the Director of the 

 Experiment Station in Colorado, where they are exceedingly proud 

 of and familiar with alfalfa culture. All Pennsylvania is trying 

 it. The Professor, in his paper this morning, did not recommend 

 the sowing of alfalfa upon meadow-land or upon any land where 

 water would stand forty-eight hours at any time of the year. Now, 

 wouldn't you rather preach the doctrine as Prof. Cooke does, and 

 say that on no land that is sufficiently well-drained, that water will 

 not stand upon it for ten days at anytime of the year is not adapted 

 to the growing of alfalfa. 



PROF. MENGES: I didn't read that part of my paper. 



QUESTION: ''Will alfalfa grow successfully upon any land high 

 or low, where water will stand within three feet of the top of the 

 ground; in other words, will alfalfa thrive with wet feet?" 



PROF. MENGES: No; that is right; that is all right. 



QUESTION: "What will you do with the now almost universal 

 plantain in our meadows?" 



PROF. MENGES: If you have enough grass there the plantain 

 will not get there — you keep the grass there and the plantain will 

 not grow. 



MR. HOWDEN: That is one thing I can't agree upon. I have 

 got a meadow just as thick as it can be, and the plantain is 

 coming in. 



PROF. MENGES: I referred to a meadow this morning with 

 which I am acquainted ever since I know anything, and I know there 

 is only one spot in that meadow where plantain grows, and that is 

 a little place right along the road that is very seldom plowed. I 

 haven't see any other place. 



MR. McHENRY: If that will eradicate the plantain, why do they 

 have it growing up there on the college ground? I saw the seeds 

 growing that length (indicating) yesterday. 



