146 BOARD OF AGEICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



has followed efforts to grow it in different places, and was 

 kind enough to send me his report in manuscript. While 

 he was very enthusiastic when he first came to see me, Mas- 

 sachusetts having Ijeen the first State he visited, in this 

 manuscript he confessed himself as discouraged. In all New 

 England he found only one locality where they were really 

 making a distinct success with alfalfa, and that is what I 

 think is called the Grand Isle region in Vermont, and it is a 

 significant fact that that is a limestone district. You may 

 say we can buy lime and put it on, and it is true an applica- 

 tion of lime will help ; it is absolutely useless to trj^ to grow 

 alfaha here unless you put on plenty of lime. We might 

 manage to grow it if deficiency of lime were the only diffi- 

 culty ; but I think that we are situated in the very worst 

 climatic region for this crop. They succeed Avith it farther 

 south and farther north (away up in Canada) ; they succeed 

 with it farther west. They succeed farther south because 

 they have a less severe climate to deal with ; they succeed 

 farther north and farther inland, not because they have a less 

 severe climate, but because they may count on full protec- 

 tion from snow. Where the snow comes and covers the 

 ground and remains until the frost comes out (the frost com- 

 ing out from underneath) , there alfalfa will live ; but where 

 the soil freezes deeply and the frost comes out from the top, 

 it settles away from the crowns of the plants ; and I have 

 seen the alfalfa in spring standing, as it were, on stilts, and 

 this seems to be more than the alfalfa can stand. At the 

 college we have got alfalfa to stand Avell, and had good crops 

 for one or two years, but it gradually weakens and gives 

 place to grasses ; and all I can say in conclusion on the su))- 

 ject is, that I don't want to discourage you from trying it, for 

 some of you may find you can grow it, l:)ut that I am not 

 prepared to recommend you to sow it on any large scale. 



I was glad to hear the professor say something in favor 

 of the ^ood old clover. We can raise fine crops of that, and 

 as long as we can do that, while we may not get as rich feed 

 as our friends in Fayette ville, still we may manage to keep 

 our heads above water. 



In relation to good seeds, I think the biggest fool in the 



