ALFALFA IN KANSAS. 1 



Compiled and edited by H. W. DOYLE. 



INTRODUCTION. 



Alfalfa is Kansas' greatest forage crop. Kansas raises more alfalfa 

 than any other state. It is therefore fitting that the methods of our best 

 growers be investigated and that the information thus acquired be dis- 

 seminated throughout the commonwealth. To this end the State Board 

 of Agriculture sent out nearly a thousand blanks, each containing 115 

 questions, to prominent alfalfa growers in every county in Kansas. The 

 replies received from hundreds of these growers have been compiled and 

 analyzed, and the consensus of opinion on all the points and phases of 

 the culture of alfalfa is herewith presented. 



AVERAGE NUMBER OF ACRES PER GROWER. 



In selecting the growers to which blanks were mailed an effort was 

 made to address those having the larger acreages. The reported aver- 

 age number of acres per grower, taking the state as a whole, is 110. 

 The average number of acres per grower in the western third of the state 

 is 143; in the central third, 115; in the eastern third, 99. It should be 

 distinctly understood, however, that these average acreages are only 

 those of the growers reporting, and do not represent the average num- 

 ber of acres on the farms of Kansas alfalfa growers in general. In fact, 

 the average number of acres on the farms of Kansas alfalfa growers in 

 general is much smaller than on those from which we have reports. 



YEARS OF EXPERIENCE. 



Taking the state as a whole, the average number of years the entire 

 reporting staff has been growing alfalfa is fifteen. Four of the growers 

 reporting have been growing alfalfa continuously for thirty-five years, 

 and nine other reporters have been growing it for thirty or more years. 

 Forty-two per cent of the growers in the western third of the state have 

 been growing alfalfa for twenty or more years, 39 per cent in the central 

 third, and 30 per cent in the eastern third. Taking the state as a whole, 

 36 per cent of the growers have been growing alfalfa for twenty or more 

 years. 



FIRST SEEDING IN KANSAS. 



Considerable rivalry was in evidence among pioneers as to who made 

 the first sowing of alfalfa in Kansas. The following is the best informa- 

 tion that we could obtain : 



"In the winter of 1868-'69 Mr. Charles J. Grosse, of Marion, Kan., re- 

 ceived from the Trumble Seed House, on Sansom street, in San Fran- 

 cisco, Cal., one hundred pounds of alfalfa seed. It was delivered to him 



,- 1. Report of an investigation by the Kansas State Board of Agriciflture. 



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