ALFALFA. 161 



Pounds. 



Basic slag meal, 1,500 



^luriate of potash, 500 



This was deeply harrowed in. In addition, just previous 

 to the last harrowing, a mixture of equal parts of nitrate of 

 soda and fine-ground bone was applied at the rate of 500 pounds 

 per acre. 



The treatment of the soil brought it into a condition believed 

 to have been highly favorable to bacterial activity; and the 

 preparatory tillage had been such that it was moderately 

 compact below, with the surface in fine mechanical condition 

 and mellow. The seed was sown July 29. It germinated well 

 and the ground was svell covered, the crop being some 10 

 inches or more in height before cold weather set in. 



The second experiment was upon a somewhat lighter soil 

 (North Field) which would be characterized as a silt loam, 

 underlaid with gravel of moderately open texture. This land 

 had been annually manured for a considerable number of years 

 with well-preserved manure from dairy cows. The rate of 

 application had been moderately heavy. It had been used 

 for a variety of forage crops in rotation, but no alfalfa had been 

 grown upon it. 



The preparation of the land and the general treatment were 

 very similar to those in the other experiment. Lime was 

 applied at the rate of 4,000 pounds per acre, basic slag meal 

 at the rate of 600 pounds, and muriate of potash at the rate 

 of 800 pounds per acre, and these were deeply incorporated 

 with the soil by the use of the disk harrow. Just before 

 seeding, a mixture of nitrate of soda and fine-ground bone 

 meal in equal parts was applied at the rate of 400 pounds per 

 acre. The seed was sown July 27, and as in the other field 

 germination was perfect, and the ground well covered with 

 abundant growth for protection during the first winter. 



The seed used in both experiments was of two kinds: Mon- 

 tana-grown common alfalfa, and a variety which had been 

 purchased under the name Grimm but which was later found 

 not to have been true to name. It was, however, like the other, 

 northern-grown seed; and the crops from the two kinds of 



