FIELD CROPS. 1050 



Notes are given on cultural operations, the continuation of work upon the economic 

 cacti, the forage garden, and on the viability of native grass seeds. The different 

 species of forage plants sown on the range reserve and the percentage of germination 

 as determined for a large number of native grasses are enumerated. 



Alfalfa, T. 1'. Hint i:i \i.. (New York Cornell Sta. Bui. ?S7,pp. 189 177, figs. 10). 

 This bulletin i- a reporl of progress on cooperative tests with alfalfa in several parts 

 of the state ami of field tests on the college farm. An Mill line of co »perative demon- 

 strations in tlm different branches of agriculture to ho made in L906 i- appended. 



The location ami description of .-oils suited to alfalfa culture in the State are 

 given, and the results of experiments with the crop are discussed, In 63 per cent 



of the i perative tests in districts where alfalfa growing is no! yet established no 



nodules at all were found on the plants. I >urim_ r - season-' work with alfalfa bacteria 

 transported by the cotton method, only one case gave an increase of vigor in the 

 plants, while the method of inoculating by the use of soil from an old alfalfa field 

 uniformly resulted in an abundance of nodules. 



Dressings of lime usually proved beneficial, ami on t he heavier soil of the college 

 farm it was found essential to the crop. The use of 2,000 lbs. per acre produced 

 somewhat hotter result- than 1,000 lbs. and practically as good as :;,ni><> lbs. The 

 results on the heavy soils indicated that the host success is to he obtained by a 

 combination of lime, stable manure, and inoculation by means of soil from an old 

 alfalfa field. < >n gravelly loam soil alfalfa without a nurse crop grew much stronger 

 before winter set in than that grown with a nurse crop, hut this superiority was not 

 maintained in the season's production. During 3 months' storage thoroughly field- 

 cured alfalfa hay lost between L5 and L6 per cenl in weight. 



Cooperative experiments with, alfalfa, ( '. I>. W >sandJ. M. Bahtlett I Maine 



Sta. I!"/. l:*'>. />/>. 85-41). — Cooperative culture tests with alfalfa in L904-5 are 

 described and directions given for the culture of the crop. The results thus far 

 Becured do not show conclusively that in general alfalfa can be successfully grown in 

 Maine. 



Alfalfa and red clover, J. \Y. Wilson and II. (.. Skinner [South Dakota sta. 

 llul. 94, p/,. 16, fig. 1). — The results of ."> years' experiments with alfalfa and clover 

 at the station and in the forage tests at I [ighmore are presented. 



In the spring of 1904 native sod on the college farm was disked 5 times and part 

 Bowed to alfalfa and part to clover, but only the clover made a fair stand. At High- 

 more a field of Turkestan alfalfa sowed in 1899 still produces good yields. Satisfac- 

 tory results have been obtained with both the Turkestan and the American varieties. 

 In 1902 a field foid with mustard was sown to alfalfa, with the result that the follow- 

 ing year the mustard was practically killed out and a first-class stand of alfalfa was 

 secured. 



At the station Turkestan alfalfa sowed May ID, L903, yielded f>,4::7 lbs. of hay per 

 acre from i' cuttings in L904 and •">, 1 1;; lbs. from l' cuttings in L905. Montana-grown 

 seed sowed in May. L903, gave a total yield from - cuttings of .~>.7;;:; lbs. the following 



season. The experience in alfalfa culture by fanners throughout the State is briefly 

 noted. 



Clover was successfully grown on thoroughly disked native prairie and Bromus 

 inermis sod. The Beed was sown at the rate of L0 to 12 lbs. per acre and perfect 



stands were secured. A clover field 1 \ear old gave a total yield of 5,484 lbs. of hay 

 per acre as compared with 3,294 lbs. on a sod-bound Bromusim rmia field. In another 

 field a total yield of 9,358 lbs. of hay per acre was secured from clover and only 2,360 

 11 >s. from Bromus inermis. 



Culture of the fodder beet in Tunis, R. Gagey (Bui. J>ir. Agr. >t <;,„<. [Tunis], 

 9 (1905), No. 87, />/>. 554 660).— The results of culture experiments with fodder hect- 

 are shown in tables. 



In selecting a variety or choosing the distance between plants it is recommended 

 that the total quantity of dry matter produced per hectare he taken into account and 



