150 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



The time is not far distant when the majority of farms in 

 the east will be growing alfalfa. Our lands will be improved, 

 our live stock increased, and we will be able to supply the 

 growing markets in the great industrial centers which are at 

 our very door. We will no longer pay the transportation com- 

 panies $10 to $15 per ton on our feeds; we will be able to pro- 

 duce more, live better and enjoy prosperity. 



Question. What is the general average life of the plant, from 

 your experience? 



Mr. Jeffers. Why, in our own work we are bringing alfalfa 

 into a farm rotation. We are leaving the alfalfa fields till they 

 grow five years, harvest them five years, then two years in corn, 

 then one year in grains. 



Question. How does alfalfa compare, from your observation, 

 with the great fields of sweet clover we see in the west, — in 

 Iowa and Kansas? 



Mr. Jeffers. Sweet clover is something that I know very 

 little about. From what I saw there, they were using it largely 

 for pastures. We have never tried much sweet clover, but I 

 should think perhaps it might be well to experiment a little in 

 it, especially if our land is a little poor. 



Question. I would like to ask the speaker if he has had any 

 experience with scarified seed? They are using now a machine 

 in the west to scarify the seed so that the germination is in- 

 creased from 50 to 75 per cent. 



Mr. Jeffers. No, we have not used any of the scarified 

 seed, but I am quite sure that that is very essential to sweet 

 clover. I know we have tried sowing a little sweet clover, and 

 sometimes it will not germinate until the next year. I tried 

 some special alfalfa down in South Jersey with sweet clover, 

 and found that some did not germinate till next year. I think 

 that scarified seeds are very good, especially with sweet clover. 



Mr. N. I. BowDiTCH. Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen: 

 While the alfalfa growers are together I want to state to them 

 that the oldest agricultural society in the State, — the Massa- 

 chusetts Society for promoting Agriculture, — in order to further 

 encourage the growing of alfalfa in the State of Massachusetts, 

 through its trustees, offers $600, in five prizes, for_thej^best 



