Alfalfa in Kansas. 119 



and a few, located in the northwest corner of the state, in favor of the 

 first crop. These preferences prevail in a comparatively uniform way 

 throughout the state. As much time is required to mature a steed crop 

 as is required to mature two hay crops, for where four crops of hay in a 

 season may ordinarily be expected, a seed crop and two crops of hay are 

 all that can be secured. July, August and September are the seed-matur- 

 ing months. 



. SEED CROP'S EFFECT ON THE STAND. 



As to whether or not the maturing of a seed crop is injurious to the 

 stand of alfalfa there is considerable difference of opinion. Two-thirds 

 of the growers reporting are of the opinion that maturing seed does not 

 injure the stand, at least not so far as they have been able to discover. 

 Their reports read something like this: 



Pratt county: "Not that I have ever noticed." 



Allen county: "Not here. It does not seed often enough to hurt." 



Wabaunsee county: "I have not discovered any deterioration, but we 

 cut seed only in very dry seasons." 



Gray county: "Under some conditions seeding improves it." 



Wallace county: "I have seen no indications of it doing so. I have 

 noticed where fallen 'seed helped thicken the stand." 



Lincoln county: "Never affected mine, but thickened it by shattering." 



On the other hand, nearly one-third of the growers believe that seed- 

 ing does injure the stand, and report as follows : 



Marion county: "It shortens the life of the field and decreases the 

 quality and quantity of hay for at least one year." 



Harvey county: "It allows the grass and weeds to start, and injures 

 the stand." 



Cloud county: "A small per cent of the plants die after maturing 

 seed." 



Geary county: "It lowers the vitality of the plant and thins the stand." 



Logan county: "It exhausts the plant very much. The following hay 

 crop is very light. But the seed that is shattered produces new plants." 



Some believe that only continuous seeding is injurious, as: 

 Neosho county: "If continued year after year it does." 

 Norton county: "If continued will soon kill alfalfa." 

 Meade county: "Regular seeding injurious; occasional beneficial." 

 Growers caution against maturing a seed crop on fields of young 

 alfalfa: 



Sherman county : "It is best not to let a newly-sown field go to seed." 



Scott county: "I don't know that it injures an old stand, but I do know 

 that it is not good to mature seed till the stand is three years old or over." 



SEED CROPS FROM WEEDY FIELDS. 



Weedy fields produce unclean seed. It is best that a weedy field be not 

 allowed to go to seed. A few growers report going over a field left for 

 seed and cutting, off the weeds with a hoe, a sickle or a scythe. This may 



