EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 



287 



to seed alfalfa as a regular crop in the field a few years hence. In 

 following this practice the seed should be treated with the nitro- 

 culture the same as though a full stand of alfalfa wore desiicd. 



The last three methods of inoculation are not frequently employed 

 by the farmer but help to explain why some fields in which none of 

 the common methods of inoculation have been used, produce an abund- 

 ance of tubercles from the first. As the expense is so little and the 

 risk of partial or complete loss of crop is so great in case the bacteria 

 are not present, artificial inoculation should by all means be used 

 whenever alfalfa is being seeded for the first time in the field. Soils 

 that have grown satisfactory tubercle bearing crops of alfalfa harbor 

 the bacteria for an indefinite time so that if alfalfa is seeded 

 again in the field even after several years, the nodules will develop on 

 the roots in abundance. 



DATE OF SEEDING. 



In studying the date of seeding alfalfa the reports were first classi- 

 fied according to the nature of the soil with the thought that different 

 dates of seeding might be found to be best under the different soil 

 conditions. The data from the seedings made on light infertile soils are 

 included in Table VIII while those from the medium and heavy soils 

 are included in Table IX. 



TABLE VIII.— DATE OF SEEDING ALFALFA.— LIGHT SOIL. 



Dates of seeding. 



April 15 or before. . 



April 16 to 30 



May 1 to 15 



May 16 to 31 



June 1 to 15 



June 16 to 30 



July 1 to 15 



July 16 to 31 



August 1 to 15 



August 16 to 31 



September 1 or later 



Total 



Number of 

 seedings 

 reported. 



1 



7 



14 



22 



38 



17 

 4 

 5 

 7 

 6 

 6 



127 



Percentage of seedings graded as 



Good. 





 14.2 

 14.3 

 27.3 

 18.4 



23.5 

 

 20.0 

 28.6 

 17.0 

 17.0 



Medium. 



100.0 

 42. P 

 28.6 

 13.6 

 55.3 



17.7 

 25.0 

 

 14.2 

 17.0 

 33.0 



Poor. 





 42.9 

 50.0 

 50.0 

 IS. 4 



41.1 

 50.0 

 60.0 

 42.9 

 50.0 

 17.0 



Failure. 











7.1 



9.1 



8.0 



17.7 

 25.0 

 20.0 

 14.2 

 17.0 

 33.0 



TABLE IX.— DATE OF SEEDING ALFALFA.— MEDIUM AND HEAVY SOIL. 



Dates of seeding. 



April 15 or before. . 



April 16 to 30 



May 1 to 15 



May 16 to 31 



June 1 to 15 



June 16 to 30 



July 1 to 15 



July 16 to 31 



August 1 to 15 



August 16 to 31 



September 1 or later 



Total 



Number of 

 seedings 

 reported. 



24 

 34 

 50 

 51 

 71 



54 

 23 

 25 

 32 

 19 

 14 



397 



Percentage of seedings graded as 



Good. 



41.6 

 35.3 

 46 

 41.2 

 50.7 



59.2 

 26.1 

 68.0 

 46.9 

 31.6 

 11.6 



Medium. 



29.1 

 47.1 

 34.0 

 39.2 

 26.8 



39.1 

 16 

 31.2 

 15.8 

 17.5 



Poor. 



29 

 14. 

 18. 

 17. 

 18. 



12.9 

 35.0 

 12.0 

 18.8 

 41. ft 

 47.1 



Failure. 



1 

 5.8 



