188 ANNUAL RKPORTS OF DKPARrMF.NT OF AORICULTURE, 



FORAGE CROPS. 



ALFALFA. 



The in\o.sti<!::»ti()iis that are being conducted with a view to testing 

 the merits ol" various short-cut methods of obtaining a stand of 

 alfalfa indicate (|uite definitely that such methods give very uncer- 

 tain results in the Ka^tern States. Under very favorable conditions 

 good .stands of alfalfa can be obt.ii.ied by sowing the seed Vvith a 

 nurse crop, and fre(iuently in some parts of the Eastern States it 

 is possible to obtain good stands by seeding in the early spring on 

 cornstalk fields. Il'iwever, such methods fail to produce satisfactory 

 results with sufficient certainty to be generally recommended. 



Investigations of .the bureau indicate that no difficulty is experi- 

 enced in getting a good stand of alfalfa in the West when the seed is 

 sown with a nurse crop, provided moisture conditions are satisfac- 

 tory; Init there is no certainty at seeding time that there will be 

 enough moisture to produce a permanent stand. 



The winter of 1919-20 resulted in a high mortality in the experi- 

 mental alfalfa i)]ats at the field .stations in the Dakotas and Montana. 

 All commercial varieties Avere bally winterkilled. Experiments con- 

 ducted at Redfield, S. Dak,, and Moccasin and Havre, Mont., indicate 

 quite definitely that alfalfa which has been harvested for seed is more 

 susceptible to winterkilling than that which was cut for hay. 



TIMOTHY BREEDING. 



Much attention is being given to solving some of the practical diffi- 

 culties that are encountered in establishing improved strains of tim- 

 oth}?^ in general use. The new and improved strains that have been 

 developed by the department in cooperation with the Ohio State 

 experiment station have consistently proved their superiority over 

 common commercial timothy to such an extent that it is believed 

 that practical problems of establishing them will soon be solved 

 satisfactorilv. 



SORGHUMS. 



It has been demonstrated by tests at numerous field stations that in 

 the Great Plains the sweet sorghums will yield more silage per acre 

 than corn or anj^ of the common grain sorghums. Calling this fact 

 to the attention of western stockmen has induced increasing numbers 

 of them to use sweet sorghums as the ensilage crop. 



The breeding of improved varieties of sorghum is being continued 

 at Hays, Kans., Chillicothe, Tex., and Bard, Calif. Several new 

 hybrids look particularly promising, and the seed will soon be avail- 

 able for distribution. 



SUDAN GRASS FOR SUMMER PASTURAGE. 



This recently introduced grass sorghum is rapidly becoming popu- 

 lar as a summer i:)asturage, especially for dairy cows and work horses. 

 All kinds of live stock relish it as pasturage, and it grows most vigor- 

 ously during the hot summer months when other pasture grasses are 

 drying up. The utilization of Sudan grass in this new role is largely 

 the result of experiments and suggestions made by the United States 

 Department of Agriculture. 



