770 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Fertilizing ingredients removed by 1 ton of alfalfa or red clover. 



First cutting 



Second cutting 



Third cutting 



Average for alfalfa hay 



Alfalfa iu full .seed 



Red clover, heads half turned 



Potash. 



Per cent. 

 51.46 

 51.99 

 49.39 

 50.95 

 35.97 

 50.32 



Mag- 

 nesia. 



Per cent. 

 7.54 

 8.17 

 7.21 

 7.64 

 5. 73 

 10.45 



The author considers an average crop to be 1.65 tons at first cutting, 

 1.2 tons at second cutting, and 1 ton for third catting. 



Quite an extended discussion is given on the amount of seed required 

 per acre, the question of a " good stand," and the vitality of alfalfa seed. 

 Samples of j)rime seed of different ages, and of screenings of first, sec- 

 ond, and third quality and of different ages were tested for vitality, 

 with the following average results : 



Germinatio7i of alfalfa seed. 



Quality. 



Prime seed ' 



Do 



Do 



Screenings, lirst quality 



Do 



Do ":.... 



Screenings, secoud quality. 

 Screenings, third qualitj'.. . 



Number 



of seeds 



to the 



pound. 



Years. 

 2 

 3 

 6 

 1 

 2 

 3 

 2 

 1 



214, 559 



259, 340 

 344, 123 

 266, 233 

 331, 383 

 312, 385 



Average percentage- 



Rotted. Left. Sprouted 



1.12 



5.00 

 21.50 

 35.50 

 20. 00 

 56.00 

 57.00 



6.0 

 1.5 

 2.0 

 12.0 

 9.0 

 1.0 

 6.0 

 3.0 



92.88 

 98.50 

 93.00 

 66.50 

 55. 00 

 79.00 

 38. 00 

 40.00 



' Average of 4 samples. 



" The hard seed remaiuiufj^ at the end of the sprouting test.s weie put together and 

 the test continued for an additional 20 days, when 78 per cent of them had sprouted, 

 13 per cent rotted, and 9 per cent were still left. This explains, in part at least, the 

 observations that some alfalfti seed seems to lie dormant for a time. . . . The results 

 are positive in showing that the age of the seed up to 6 years old does not affect its 

 germinating power, , . . 



''These tests and observations also strengthen the clauu made that iu practice 

 screenings produce as satisfactory results as prime seed. Taking it on the basis of 

 the germinating power in the most unfavorable sample, second quality screenings 

 2 years old, with only 38 per cent germinating, we have, where 20 lbs. of seed are 

 sown to the acre, 1,325,532 jilants; and a.s.sumingthatoue-seventli of them live, there 

 would be 189,301 plants to the acre, or over 1 to the sqiuire loot, a sutticieut number, 

 surely, to produce a maximum crop." 



The author found the tap roots of alfalfa to be smaller than is usually 

 supposed, being under rather than over 0.5 in. in diameter,* though 

 anomalous types Avere found which Avere short and as much as 2.8 in. in 

 diameter. The root system, which is illustrated by jilates, is simple, 

 consisting of a single tap root extending down from 3 to 5 ft. and 

 then dividing into a few branch roots, which usually deviate only a few 

 inches from the course pursued by the tap root before division. In no 



