304 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



The short rotation of annual crops should be one that is favorable 

 to keeping up the fertility of the land. If clover is not needed for the 

 production of hay on account of the alfalfa, it or some other legume 

 should be seeded for plowing under. 



The best management probably would be to leave the alfalfa seeded 

 in each field from three to six years. The cost and risk of seeding is 

 materially increased if alfalfa fields are left less than three years and 

 the leaving of a seeding more than six years would not seem to be the 

 most economical use of it as a soil builder for the entire farm, since it 

 would take so long to get the entire farm seeded. 



It is advisable to seed at least one-half of the new field before plowing 

 up the old field if the latter is still in a productive condition. 



A good idea of the results with which alfalfa has been seeded in 

 Michigan during the past few years may be had by the study of Table 

 XVII. It should be noted that out of 621 trials 85.3 per cent were good 

 or medium. 



TABLE XVII.— RESULTS OF SEEDING ALFALFA IN MICHIGAN. 



Total number of farmers reports 



Per centage who seeded witn good results.. . . 

 Percentage who seeded with medium results . 



Percentage who seeded with poor results 



Percentage whose seedings resulted in failure. 



621 



68.8 



16.5 



8.7 



5.9 



In Table XVIII is given a summary of farmers' opinions of alfalfa 

 as a farm crop in their respective sections. 



TABLE XVIII.— FARMERS OPINIONS OF ALFALFA. 



Total number of farmers reports 



Percentage who have good opinion of alfalfa . . 

 Percentage who have a fair opinion of alfalfa.. 

 Percentage who have a poor opinion of alfalfa. 

 Percentage who think alfalfa a faUure 



642 



77.4 



14.6 



3.7 



3.2 



The average acreage per field as shown by the reports is approxi- 

 mately six, and the acreage per farm is eight. Many farmers, however, 

 are now seeding much larger fields than formerly, and the above figures 

 will doubtless fail considerably of representing true conditions after 

 one or two more seasons. 



As a further indication of the place alfalfa is comiug to occupy on 

 the Michigan farm, the following brief statements which are tlumght to 

 be representative of all of the opinions expressed are submitted. 



"I think that alfalfa is worth nearly twice as much per acre as any of 

 our other hay crops." 



''It grows better each year. It will stand the grasshoppers, which 

 were very bad this year. It lived while other clover, both new and old 

 .seedings, were killed." 



"Best paying crop one can raise and also by far the best crop to feed." 



"I think in time we can raise alfalfa just as we do clover now, but is 

 slow in starting." 



''It is the best paying crop we hav^." 



''Some have been successful and others have failed. If we can get it 

 established, it will be a grand forage crop." 



