1HE IRR1 GA1ION A GE. 411 



growing season is long and that it requires a proportionally large 

 amount of water would be expected." 



Here Prof. Buffum presents a table showing the amounts of water 

 used on fourteen different crops of alfalfa, "The table shows, '' he 

 continues, "that we have not used very large amounts of water in the 

 production of alfalfa. Our measurements of water used on native 

 hay shows that only about one-half the water was used on alfalfa as 

 on the native hay." An average of these fourteen measurements made 

 at Laramie as set forth in the above mentioned table shows the depth 

 of water applied to alfalfa to have been 2.22 feet. An average of six 

 measurements made by the station on oats, wheat and barley, shows 

 2. 74 acre feet applied to each acre of those crops. The only class of 

 plants upon which less water has been used by the station than on 

 alfalfa has been root crops. 



The first seed of the famous Turkestan alfalfa was imported and 

 sent out by the Department of Agriculture in 1895. Little attention 

 was given it until the severe weather 6f winter before last put its 

 hardiness to the test. On all parts of the farm-plots at the Wyoming 

 Station the ordinary alfalfa showed more or less winter killing, but 

 not a single plant of the Turkestan variety had been hurt. Similar re- 

 ports were received by the Department of Agriculture from many 

 other sections. Not only does it seem hardier but it has generally 

 produced heavier yields than the common alfalfa. On the Wyoming 

 Experiment Station farm, averaging the results for the last two sea- 

 sons, when cut for hay and cured alike, the Turkestan variety clearly 

 showed superior cropping qualities, producing over three-fourths of a 

 ton more hay per acre. 



Secretary Wilson of the Department of Agriculture is greatly 

 pleased at the discovery of this variety of alfalfa and its apparent 

 hardiness and heavy yielding qualities and his department is prepar- 

 ing to introduce it generally in small lots throughout the West. 

 Farmers who desire to make a trial of it should mail a request to the 

 Secretary of Agriculture at Washington for some seed. 



