Dairy Suggestions from Europe. 233 



In no country does everything give place to dairying as it does in 

 Denmark and Holland, and in no country in the world are the farmers 

 so prosperous and self respecting. 



There is no dairy country, though the land may be worth $1,000 

 an acre, that has the natural advantages for the production of dairy 

 products enjoyed in the central part of the United States. None of the 

 intensive dairy countries of Europe can produce and preserve in good 

 condition for winter feeding of dairy cows the amount of digestible 

 nutrients per acre that can be secured in the Central West with corn 

 silage and alfalfa hay. 



There must be great opportunities ahead of the American dairymen 

 if Denmark can profitably feed our grain and maintain, through dairy 

 exports, her place as one of the most thrifty nations of the world. 



To embrace these opportunities, the American dairyman must re- 

 alize that the four things practiced in Europe that make the difference 

 between success and failure with the individual and that apply directly 

 to the American dairyman are : a herd of efficient cows : economical feed 

 and care ; and clean methods. 



ESSENTIALS TO SUCCESS WITH ALFALFA IN MISSOURI. 



(Prof. M. F. Miller, Ag-ricultural Experiment Station, Columbia, Mo.) 



The Missouri Experiment Station has been conducting experi- 

 ments with alfalfa on the various soils of the State for a number of 

 years, and as a result of these experiments the following summary of 

 the essentials to success may be given : 



1. It takes good land to grow alfalfa without considerable care. 

 Well drained creek and river bottoms, as well as all well drained and 

 rich uplands, especially those containing plenty of lime, will grow it 

 readily where it is properly handled. For average to thin lands much 

 care is necessary to success. A stand may frequently be secured on 

 average and even thin lands, but the yield is usually not sufficient to 

 pay, and it is sooner or later taken by the summer grasses unless par- 

 ticular pains is taken to keep these out. 



2. On rich lands alfalfa may be spring sown, but on average lands 

 fall or late summer sowing is much better. From the middle of August 

 to the middle of September is usually the best time for uplands in 

 Central and North Missouri, but in the extreme southern part of the 

 State it may frequently be sown as late as the first of October. Much 

 depends upon the weather during August as to just what time it 

 should be somti. Frequently the first of August is better than later 



