THE ENEMIES OF ALFALFA 20/ 



its seeds or has killed the alfalfa. The wisest and safest 

 thing- to do is to sow only seed so thoroughly cleaned that 

 there will be no dodder with it. If, later, it is found that 

 any dodder seed escaped the cleaning operations and is 

 growing, the grower should go through the field with a 

 knife or sickle and a large basket or sack and cut out and 

 burn every dodder vine and every plant to which dodder 

 is attached. If so unfortunate as to have sown seed with 

 a considerable mixture of dodder, clip the alfalfa early 

 in May, let the clippings dry for two or three days or 

 longer, and then burn on the field, watching carefully to 

 have the fire touch every part. It will facilitate a com- 

 plete burning to sprinkle parts not burning readily, with 

 kerosene. If there is a poor stand of alfalfa, largely 

 infested with dodder, safety lies in plowing it up and cul- 

 tivating the field in corn or potatotes for two or three 

 years. 



From an excellent article on the dodder that infests 

 alfalfa (Cusciita epithymum) by Mr. F. E. Dawley, a 

 New York authority on alfalfa, and printed with illus- 

 trations in the Country Gentleman, the excerpts here fol- 

 lowing are taken : 



*'The only sure method of keeping alfalfa fields free 

 from dodder is through exercising greater caution in the 

 purchase of seed. There is no reason why thoroughly 

 recleaned alfalfa seed should have any dodder seed in it, 

 as reference to the illustrations will show. The relative 

 sizes and forms of the seeds of alfalfa and dodder are 

 shown herewith. It will be seen that there is a marked 

 difference in both the sizes and the shapes of the seeds. 

 The alfalfa seed is shaped like a little kidney bean, and 



