126 AtPAtPA 



drills, seems to be in most all cases necessary, as the 

 plants grow slowly at first, and in our humid climate 

 with frequent rains would be choked out or greatly 

 weakened by weeds on almost all soils. When sown in 

 drills hand-cultivators have been run between the rows. 

 Cutting is done when in early bloom, and generally not 

 more than two crops per year, as the blight or rust 

 above alluded to checks the growth considerably. It 

 is best cured in cocks and is stored in a barn as other 

 hay. 



' ' It appears to be usually rather short-lived. As 

 so far grown here it commonly loses its vitality to such 

 an extent as to become unprofitable after three or four 

 years. Pasturing has not been tried. Severe cold of 

 winter and early spring at times when we have no rain- 

 fall is, I believe, one of the causes which weaken the 

 plant. On suitable soils the climate is seldom either so 

 dry or so wet, and never so hot as to injure well-estab- 

 lished alfalfa. Pradlically the only enemy of impor- 

 tance is the parasitic fungus or rust above alluded to. 

 When this appears it seems to be best to cut the crop 

 at once. Cutting apparently tends to check its increase, 

 and the new growth starts promptly. Alfalfa has not 

 been produced in such quantities as to have established 

 a place for itself in popular estimation, but is known, 

 however, to be a valuable fodder." 



MINNESOTA 



W. M. Hays, of the station at St. Anthony Park, 

 says alfalfa in Minnesota has generally been a failure. 

 There is one exception, which he notes below. The 

 cause of failure is inabiHty to withstand the severe 



