No. 4.] GRASS AND CLOVER. 135 



what is the trouble I do not know, neither have I found any 

 one in the east who was willing to stake his reputation in 

 answering this question. Surely it is not climatic conditions 

 alone, for in all sections we can find a iew straggling plants 

 that have evidently been in the locality for years. I was 

 surprised this last summer to find some growing in a man's 

 yard at Fort Fairfield, — one of the most northerly points in 

 Maine. 



The conditions under which alfalfa will grow and tlirive 

 seem to be the same as for clover, excepting that they must 

 be more extreme. Lands which are drained enough for clover 

 may not be at all adapted to alfalfa. Its longer and deeper 

 rooting system must have more soil. The nature of the sub- 

 soil, too, greatly affects alfalfa. It is almost impossible to 

 make it thrive on a clay hardpan. A soil expert from the 

 Department of Agriculture, who was studying the alfalfa 

 questions all over the country, x'ecently said to me that ' ' he 

 didn't care what the top soil was, it was the subsoil which 

 mainly determined the land's adaptability to alfalfa." Water 

 standing and freezing around and in the crowns of the plants 

 almost seems to be sure death to the crop. 



Since alfalfa is comparatively new in the east, I would not 

 expect to find the bacteria which work on the roots of this 

 crop in large numbers, and so would resort to soil inocula- 

 tion with other soil, expecting that by so doing considerable 

 vigor in the growth would be gained. 



Here, again, it seems to me that the wise farmer will allow 

 the experiment stations to do some work before he enters 

 largely into the growing of alfalfa. Red and alsike clover 

 grow so naturally and so well that if we put the same amount 

 of time, labor and money into attempting to grow these crops 

 that we are now putting into the alfalfa questions, we shall be 

 far better off. 



Somehow, the idea has gained a foothold that alfalfa is 

 much better in feeding value than red and alsike clover. As 

 a matter of fact, there is not as much difference as is usually 

 supposed . 



