88 



fall and survived the "winter has bloomed, but no roots have lived through the wet, 

 warm mouths of summer. I remember that in New Mexico, whenever it was desir- 

 able to destroy the alfalfa, in order to plow the ground, the surface was covered with 

 water daily for two weeks during the heat of summer. The United States consul 

 at Lambayeque, Peru, states (United States Agricultural Report, 1877, p. 544) that 

 it will not bear water, an abundant irrigation or inundation causing speedy death to 

 the plant. The result in this country has been the same. Alfalfa has invariably 

 perished during the rainy months. All the clovers are affected the same way. 



Mr. Knapp incloses a letter from Dr. B. J. Taliaferro, of Maitland, 

 Orange County, the only person in bis knowledge who has been suc- 

 cessful in growing alfalfa in that region. 



Dr. Taliaferro says : 



There is no doubt but that alfalfa can be successfully grown in south Florida. My 

 old patch is now twelve months old, and has been cut five times. I am so pleased 

 with it that I have just put in 5 acres more. The great difficulty is getting a 

 good stand. If the ground is not just right the seed will fail. I have failed several 

 times by sowing when the sun was too hot or not hot enough, or when the land was 

 not sufficiently moist. From my short experience I think September is the best mouth 

 in which to plant. If we plant early in the spring or summer it is almost impossible 

 to keep the crab grass from taking it. I sow in drills 16 or 18 inches apart, and wait 

 for a warm, moist day for sowing. The plant is very delicate at first, and must be kej>t 

 clean from grass and weeds. I shall try a small piece broadcast this fall, but doubt 

 whether it will prove a success, as crab grass is its greatest enemy in my portion of 

 Florida. The piece I have growing is on high, dry, pine land, such as would be suit- 

 able for orange-growing. Alfalfa, having a very long tap-root, would not do on 

 low laud. It is very necessary to prepare the land thoroughly. My plan is as fol- 

 lows: After getting the land clean of all stumps, rubbish, etc., I plow it deeply with 

 a two-horse turning-plow, then harrow and hand-rake. Early in spring I put on a 

 light dressing of cotton-seed meal, and sow down in cow peas broadcast, and when 

 the vines are in full bearing I turn them under with a three-horse plow, and as soon 

 thereafter as possible harrow deeply, and broadcast again with some good fertilizer 

 (I prefer cotton-seed meal, bone meal, and potash), harrowing it in well with a spring- 

 tooth harrow. It would be well to repeat the harrowing as often as possible before 

 sowing. About the 1st or middle of September hand-rake perfectly smooth, and put 

 in the seed with a seed-drill, about 6 pounds per acre. Keep clean of weeds and 

 crab grass, and cut when in bloom. A top-dressing of land plaster after the first 

 cutting will prove very beneficial. I have experimented with a number of forage 

 plants, but failed with all except millo rnaize until I tried alfalfa. 



J. S. Newman, Director Experiment Station, Auburn, Ala.: 



I have had it fourteen years in profitable growth from one seeding, and have seen 

 it in Gordon County, Ga., twenty-five years old, and still in vigorous and profit- 

 able growth. If used for hay it must be cut before it blossoms, or the stems become 

 too woody. Like other leguminous plants it requires especial care in curing, to pre- 

 vent the loss of its leaves. It may be cut from three to five times in one season, ac- 

 cording to the frequency of rains. It is a mistake to suppose that because of its long 

 tap-root it is not seriously affected by drought. It thrives well upon all classes of 

 lands, if fertile and well drained. 



Clarke Lewis, Cliftonville. Mass. : 



It grows readily in this State on poor, sandy soil, but best on sand loam. It will 

 bear cutting year after year without new seeding, if not too heavily grazed. As a 

 permanent soiling plant it has no superior. It must be cut early, when first coming 

 into blossom; if cut later it becomes woody and makes poor hay. Its introduction 

 has been confined to a few localities. 



