FIELD CEOPS. 



439 



Summary of icinter resistance tests of alfalfa at St. Anthony Park, 

 Minnesota — Continued. 



Kin'l of alfalfa. 



Other than Grimm, 10 strains 



Ordinary (other than Grimm), G strains 



Turkestan, 3 strains 



Grimm, 4 strains 



Other than Grimm, 10 strains 



Ordinary (other than Grimm), G strains 



Turkestan, 3 strains 



Grimm, 4 strains 



Turkestan, 3 strains 



Ordinary, 7 strains 



Grimm, 7 strains 



"Baltic," 6 strains <■ 



Ordinary, 3 strains 



Grimm seed from 1905 and 1906 plantings (4 plats) 



Season. 



1905-6. 

 1905-6. 

 1905-6. 

 1906-7. 

 190C-7. 

 1906-7. 

 1906-7. 

 1906-7. 

 190fr-7. 

 1906-7. 

 190&-9. 

 1908-9. 

 1908-9. 

 1908-9. 



Percent- 

 age of 

 winter 

 loss. 



9C<. 9 



97.4 



99.7 



a 15. 7 



a23. 



a 33. 3 



oO.O 



18.8 



36.6 



90.8 



6 4.7 



6 5.8 



6 84.5 



2.3 



a Total loss from all causes between the spring in which the count was made and the preceding spring, 

 as the plants were not counted during the autumn. This is the percentage loss during these plats' second 

 winter, the loss during the preceding season Ixiing reported just above in this table. 



6 Less for entire year. 



c Selected by W. A. Wheeler at Highmore and Brookings, S. Dak. 



The antboi- summarizes data from sources already noted (E. S. R., 17. p. 355; 

 19, pp. 131, 330; 24, p. 142). 



Near Tappen, N. Dak., in a test of the hardiness of 16 strains, Grimm seed 

 from Minnesota and seed from Cliinook and Billings, Mont., gave stands 90 

 per cent perfect, and seed from Clearwater, Nebr., and Lawrence, Kans., 85 

 per cent perfect stands. The plats were seeded in May, 1905, and the stand 

 estimated in September, 1909, at the close of the fifth season. " Many of the 

 strains included in this experiment were duplicated in tlie experiments at Dicli- 

 inson, N. Dak., and there is a general ngreement in behav'or as to cold resistance 

 at the 2 places." Tlie Eifeler ucern, from a point in Germany near the liome of 

 Grimm alfalfa, was included in this test. It is practically identical in its 

 botanical characteristics with Grimm alfalfa, but its physiological behavior in 

 the Tappen test was altogether different, as the stand September, 1909, was 

 only 5 per cent jjerfect. All the plats were cut for seed in August, 1909, and 

 the best, including the Grimm and Montana strains, j-ielded about 2i bu. per 

 acre. "The work at Tappen indicates that in the drier portions of North 

 Dakota farmers who desire to grow alfalfa, and who can not obtain Grimm 

 seed, should use either Montana or Nebraska strains." 



At Fayetteville, N. Y., a similar series of alfalfa varieties and strains was 

 tested. In 1906 Grimm gave a total yield of 7,450 lbs. as compared with 

 3,340 lbs. for Turkestan. In 1907 Grimm yielded 5,440 lbs. as compared with 

 4,820 lbs. from Utah nonirrigated seed No. 12409 and 2,300 lbs. from Turkestan. 

 These figures indicate, in the author's opinion, that Grimm can be depended 

 upon for its hay-yielding capacitj^ as well as on account of superior hardiness. 



Experiments at Bozeman, ^Mont., indicate that the Grimm alfalfa "' is decid- 

 edly the best for many sections of the State." 



At Indian Head, Saskatchewan, Canada, among 9 alfalfas sown in May, 1905, 

 S. P. I. No. 12991 (Carver County, Minn., Grimm) had about 95 per cent of 

 the stand remaining in the spring of 1906 as compared with 60 per cent of 

 S. P. I. No. 11211 from Samarkand, Turkestan, and 50 per cent each of S. P. I. 

 Nos. 13291 and 13259. The seed for the last 2 samples was grown at Fayette- 

 ville, N. Y., and Milburn, Nebr., respectively. During the period 1904-1909, 6 

 alfalfas were tested at Indian Head. In 1906 Grimm produced at 2 cuttings 

 7717 °— No. 5—11 4 



