HABIT OF GROWTH. 93 



the hardiest plants in the world when exposed to 

 certain trials and dangers. Drouths have no terrors 

 for it. Cold has no terrors for it. Heat has no ter- 

 rors for alfalfa. It dies, if it dies at all, of pneu- 

 monia brought on by wet feet in winter time, by 

 cancer brought on by undrained soils and floods of 

 rains in summer time ; it dies from fungus troubles 

 brought on by exposure to too much wet and by not 

 having the fungus-affected tops cut away at proper 

 time; or it dies because its allies, the bacteria, be- 

 come diseased and forsake it. It is a Mexican, living 

 by means of the hot peppers it consumes, the pep- 

 per to the alfalfa plant being carbonate of lime. 

 Given these things, dry soil with air in it and alka- 

 line with carbonate of lime, not sour; keep animals 

 off it in cold weather, cut it three times a year, keep 

 grasses from choking it, and alfalfa will endure in 

 almost any land for half a century. 



Ice Will Kill. There is one thing that may hap- 

 pen, however, that no art of man can circumvent; 

 that is ice in winter. There is a danger line along 

 through Minnesota and parts of Wisconsin, probably 

 extending through Michigan, where the warmth of 

 spring comes before the cold of winter is out of 

 the earth. Warm days thaw the snow, it makes a 

 film of water over the earth; this freezes hard and 

 the ground is locked in icy fetters. This may kill 

 the alfalfa dead. It may not happen more than once 

 in several years. When it has happened the only 

 thing to be done is to grin and bear it, plow the 

 field, plant to corn or potatoes and re-seed the next 

 year. Or it may be at once resown the same season. 



