30 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 



Prof. H. M. Cottrell, formerly agriculturist of the 

 Kansas experiment station, says : "One year I sowed 

 20 acres to alfalfa — 19 acres with Utah grown seed and 

 one acre with imported seed ; both showed a germination 

 of over 98 per cent, and the growth was good from both 

 lots all through the season, with no difference that could 

 be detected. The next spring there was a good stand all 

 over the 19 acres seeded with Utah seed, and not a single 

 live plant on the acre seeded with the imported seed. I 

 have seen several trials with imported seed, and never 

 yet saw a good crop harvested from it. Usually after 

 passing through the first winter there is from one-fourth 

 to one-half a stand from such seed ; the plants make a 

 weak growth and, if allowed to remain, most of them die 

 out in two or three years. Descriptions of the puny 

 growth in reports of failures of this crop, given by east- 

 ern growers, make one think that probably imported seed 

 had been sown. No intelligent farmer would take corn 

 grown in the warm soil and climate and long season of 

 southern Kansas and expect to grow a good crop in New 

 York on heavy soil with short seasons. It is even more 

 difficult to succeed with so great a change in growing 

 alfalfa, as it would have to withstand the long severe 

 winter, as well as the change in summer conditions. No 

 one should sow alfalfa seed without knowing where and 

 under what conditions it was grown." 



New seed, other conditions being right, is always pref- 

 erable, although that kept for several years, properly 

 cared for, may have retained most of its germinability. 

 Such tests as have been made appeared to show a loss 

 in well stored seed of only about one and one-half per 



