246 MEADOWS AND PASTURES 



in Louisiana. There are also special varieties adapted 

 to special areas. Among these are the new varieties 

 brought from Siberia by Prof. N. E. Hansen, the Tur- 

 kestan variety brought earlier by him and now in use in 

 the drier parts of the cold Northwest, and the so-called 

 "Grimm" alfalfa, which first came to our notice as grown 

 by German farmers in Minnesota. This Grimm alfalfa 

 is especially hardy and productive and adapted to the 

 lands and climates of the Dakotas, parts of Montana 

 and the British provinces. 



Irrigation of Alfalfa. One can get at the ground- 

 work of the science of irrigating alfalfa if one will con- 

 sider certain basal truths. First, alfalfa revels in moist 

 soil and dies in wet soil; next, standing water on alfalfa 

 in hot weather soon scalds the crowns and kills it; then, 

 alfalfa covered with ice in winter is destroyed. Where 

 it is practical, the best system of irrigating alfalfa is by 

 the furrow method. In this method furrows rather deep 

 and sharply defined are made across the field, running 

 right down the slopes, as a usual thing, and near enough 

 together so that the water will "sub" or soak through 

 from side to side. After the seed is sown (commonly 

 this is done before making the furrows, which are made 

 by special machines built for the purpose that open 4 or 

 more furrows at one time) one turns in water which is 

 allowed to flow in very gentle streams down the fur- 

 rows till the soil is thoroughly soaked, and the seed 

 germinated and above ground. Afterward, the alfalfa 

 is watered several times as it may seem to need feed dur- 

 ing the summer. In the second year there will be small 

 danger of washing, and large streams may be turned 



