FIELD CROPS. 633 



Brief accounts are given of what were to the author unexpectedly good 

 results from thin seeding, self-seeding, and the plowing under of stands that 

 were apparent failures. Alfalfa apparently well plowed under in the spring of 

 1908 produced 2 cuttings from the plants which survived and made a third 

 growth which had bloomed and attained a height of from 15 to 20 in. by the 

 latter part of September. 



A table states the soil moisture content found in successive feet of soil for 

 plats of alfalfa that had been sown broadcast or in rows and in some instances 

 cultivated. Samples were taken to depths ranging from 10 to IS ft. In gen- 

 eral the moisture content was higher in the soil where alfalfa grew in culti- 

 vated rows, or where the stand was thin. Under a thick stand " the moisture 

 was so depleted that growth could not take place, the growth of the plants 

 being further hampered by the diminished root system." 



The moisture content in each of the upper 6 ft. of the soil of a plat on which 

 the alfalfa was planted in 6-in. rows and left uncultivated and of another plat 

 on which it was cultivated in oO-in. rows showed an average moisture content for 

 the uncultivated plat of 16.68 per cent April 1 and 9.52 per cent June 24, as 

 compared with 15.45 and 12.70 respectively on the cultivated plat. This corre- 

 sponded to a saving of 3.88 in. of water on the cultivated plat. 



The average seed yield per plant obtained from 264 Turkestan plants was 

 13.6 gm. as compared with 14.5 gm. in case of 19 selfed plants and 22 gm. 

 secured from 754 plants other than Turkestan. In 1910 a good yield of seed 

 was secured from second gi'owth alfalfa as compared with a failure on another 

 portion of the same plat on which the first growth was left for seed. Alfalfa 

 cultivated in 3 ft. rows, however, gave a yield of 109 lbs. of seed per acre 

 during the same year. 



Under a cage containing bumblebees 83 per cent of the 437 flowers in bloom 

 were found to be tripped as compared with 91 per cent under a cage containing 

 wild bees and wasps. No flowers were found tripped under the control cage 

 or under a cage containing moths and butterflies. 



Report of alfalfa specialist, P. K. Blinn {Colorado Stn. Rpt. 1910, pp. 

 76-78). — The year's work on the alfalfa breeding project has been along two 

 lines, (1) a search for traits desirable for perpetuation, and (2) an investigation 

 of the factors that influence the setting of alfalfa seed. 



There seems to be a direct relation between the stooling habits of an alfalfa 

 plant and its tendency to winterkill. " The type of plant with the deep crown- 

 ing habit that sends out root stalks beneath the surface of the soil, with the bud 

 areas protected with earth, characterizes the nonwinterkilling strains, while 

 the plant that has a small stool that throws out its shoots almost upright at, 

 or very near the surface, has its bud areas exposed and is therefore easily 

 winterkilled." 



The Baltic variety, which originated as a strain at Baltic, S. Dak., a little 

 more than 10 years ago, showed marked resistance to a bacterial disease which 

 seriously injured 9 other varieties growing under the same conditions. The 

 disease seemed to be associated with frost injuries. In a variety test Baltic 

 yielded 5,702 lbs. of hay per acre as compared with 4,126 lbs. or less from 

 other varieties. 



Notes regarding- the yield of alfalfa, E. H. Jenkins (Connecticut State St a. 

 Rpt. 1911, pt. 3, pp. 237, 256-258). — The author states that a sufficient number 

 of successes on a considerable scale have now been attained to prove that under 

 proper conditions alfalfa can be successfully grown in Connecticut. 



A measured acre from an 80-acre field yielded 5,542 lbs. at the first cutting, 

 1,663 lbs. at the second, and 2,420 lbs. at the third. Proximate analyses indi- 

 cated that the first cutting, which was more mature, contained a lower per- 



