ALFALFA 47 



PRACTICAL EXERCISES AND HOME PROJECTS 



1. Field study of alfalfa. Location visited 



Date If possible, visit an alfalfa field, 



observe the following points, and write a description of each 

 point from the field study : 



1. Number of plants per square foot. Average five. 



2. Height of plant. Average ten. 



3. Number branches per stem. Average five. 



4. Number shoots per crown. Average five. 



5. Diameter of taproot at crown base. 



6. General appearance of field as to thrift and color. 



7. Note the strong taproot with branches. 



8. Note number and position of lateral stem buds. 



9. Select as large a plant as possible, and carefully dig 

 - away the soil, removing the plant with the taproot 



and its branches. Sketch. 



10. Note the nodules and their position. 



11. Remove a few of the nodules and preserve them for 

 further examination. 



12. General description of leafy portion. 



2. Growing a plot of alfalfa. If this study is made at the 

 proper season, one practical exercise on alfalfa should be 

 made by growing at least one-tenth of an acre on the school 

 grounds. Prepare the ground, and follow carefully all direc- 

 tions given in the discussions above in making this demonstra- 

 tion plot of alfalfa, 



3. Examination of alfalfa seed for purity. 



(a) Examine the seeds, become familiar with their form 

 and size. Sketch a few seeds. 



(b) Count out one hundred seeds from the sample in 

 hand. Separate from this lot all weed seeds and estimate the 

 per cent of purity. 



