176 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 



At the Kansas experiment station a small plat of vigor- 

 ous alfalfa was covered just before coming into bloom 

 with mosquito netting supported on sticks. It was there- 

 fore know;i that no bees nor other insects could come into 

 contact with the blossoms. Later a careful examination 

 disclosed that the pods which had formed were entirely 

 without seeds. 



HOW THE FERTILIZING IS ACCOMPLISHED 



As suggesting something of the relation of bees and 

 like insects to the cross fertilization of alfalfa blossoms 

 and consequent increased seed production, Prof. S. J. 

 Hunter, entomologist of the University of Kansas, who 

 has spent much time making critical observations of bees 

 in the alfalfa fields of the Middle West, writes the fol- 

 lowing for this volume : 



"Every farmer is familiar with the evil effects of con- 

 tinuous inbreeding among live stock. In plant life this 

 same continuous fertilization of one plant by its own pol- 

 len works no less injury to its race of plants. To prevent 

 such inbreeding among plants nature has devised several 

 means. One of these is illustrated in the alfalfa blossom. 

 If the reader will tear away the purple blossom exposing 

 the true organs of fertilization, it will be seen that the 

 central round body, the stigma, designed to receive the 

 pollen grains, is higher than the surrounding, elongated, 

 pollen-bearing anthers. It will become evident, then, 

 that it will be possible and most likely for the pollen to 

 drop to the base of the flower without coming in contact 

 with the stigma, and the flower will thus go unfertilized. 

 This is as nature intended it should be, namely, that the 



