TWELFTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART X 525 



tion was unnecessary. As a result only the one field, seven years old now 

 and almost killed out with blue grass, is all the alfalfa that is growing 

 in that vicinity, although thousands of dollars and many days' work 

 have been wasted in the partial attempt to secure other fields. 



In 1907 the writer seeded another field prepared in identically the same 

 manner, with one exception, after a crop of barley had been removed 

 from the ground. Good authority advised that if enough manure was 

 used on the ground inoculation was unnecessary. As a result, after ap- 

 plying 12 loads of well rotted manure to the acre and carefully preparing 

 a seed bed, the seed was planted without inoculation. An excellent stand 

 was secured in the fall and it came well the following spring, giving 

 every indication of a successful crop. 



Later the plants began to turn yellow here and there over the entire 

 field. In these patches they died so that when cutting time arrived there 

 was not enough alfalfa remaining to pay for harvesting. It was not be- 

 cause alfalfa would not grow in that particular vicinity but because one 

 of the essential requirements had been neglected. 



The field was again prepared and this time a wagon load of dirt 

 secured from a sweet clover field was scattered over the six acres. There 

 were no better prospects for a crop the following year but the plants 

 instead of turning yellow and dying continued to thrive until the middle 

 of June when three tons of excellent hay per acre were harvested. The 

 second cutting provided two more tons and a third cutting in Septem- 

 ber would have provided another two tons but, fearing that the roots 

 would be destroyed during the winter, the last growth was left to pro- 

 tect them. Since that time from six to eight tons of alfalfa have been 

 harvested annually. 



Last year during the severe drouth this alfalfa field was the only place 

 in its vicinity where green plants were growing. This. year three tons 

 of excellent hay per acre have already been harvested and without doubt 

 two more cuttings of at least two tons each will be secured. 



These instances together with thousands of others that might be cited 

 illustrate that alfalfa can be grown successfully and with a certainty if 

 certain vital points learned through knowledge and experience will be 

 practiced. They also indicate that failures are due to a lack of knowl- 

 edge, experience and persistency, and the presence of erroneous ideas on 

 the part of the grower rather than to a failure of the plant to suit itself 

 to climatic conditions. 



