168 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



many years. I don't think alfalfa will ever grow as well on 

 one of those hardpan soil farms as on open, porous soils where 

 it has a chance to get the roots damp. 



Mr. Sanborn. I understand roots of Grimm are not like 

 those of other alfalfa? 



Mr. Jeffers. If the conditions are the same you will see 

 very little difference in the root growth. 



Mr. Prescott. I think I forgot to mention one other thing. 

 Punkatassett Farm, in Concord, has been growing alfalfa on 

 a hill for eleven years. The first piece they put down eleven 

 years ago is on a very clayey soil on a very rounding hill, and 

 they have never had a failure in any way, shape or manner on 

 any of the pieces that they have put down, and I think they 

 have 7 or 8 acres now on that clayey soil which has no sign 

 of a porous subsoil. 



Dr. H. J. Wheeler. Regarding what Mr. Sanborn said, I 

 attempted to grow alfalfa for about ten or twelve years with 

 continual failures, all the time working w^ith common alfalfa. 

 After getting hardy types it has been successful. I bought 

 from Professor Hansen of South Dakota a number of plants 

 which I set out in 1912. All have this branch habit, and most of 

 them throw out a number of roots, and that alfalfa has come 

 through every winter since. I don't think a single plant has died. 

 My suggestion would be to communicate with Professor Hansen 

 and get some of the most hardy varieties, and I believe Mr. 

 Sanborn can succeed on the type of soil he mentions. 



In regard to this cutting of alfalfa, my experience with leaf 

 spot has been that when it comes on badly you ought to cut 

 that alfalfa at once, no matter whether buds have appeared or 

 not. I would not pay any attention to the state of blooming. 

 If it becomes very dry it may be necessary to cut before buds 

 begin to appear in order to save the crop you have. You gen- 

 erally get another crop, notwithstanding that leaf spot is seen. 

 If you will cut that off at once your next crop will probably 

 be entirely free from leaf spot, but if you leave it you will do 

 a positive injury to the plant. I would like to know what Mr. 

 Jeffers thinks about that? 



Mr. Jeffers. I think Dr. Wheeler is right about that. Of 

 course it is a pretty hard matter to lay down any fast rule. 



