SUMMABY OF ALFALFA SOWING. 519 



Schlange, at Schonningen, near Colbitzow. This is 

 well north, farther than Hudson Bay. Herr 

 Schlange's soil is in part sandy. Growing along the 

 roadside, in the grass and from the sand, was the 

 yellow-flowered alfalfa, Medicago falcata, behaving 

 like a weed, only a beautiful weed. I think he 

 thought me a bit mad when I sprang from the car- 

 riage and exclaimed in wonder at this plant, which 

 I had never before seen growing wild in its native 

 region. It did not make a tall growth, but it was 

 thrifty and growing out of a very sandy and I think 

 lime-deficient soil. There is a story about this ' ' sand 

 lucerne." I enthused over it so much that the Ger- 

 man farmer offered to have his men gather me some 

 of the seed when it was ripe. I was delighted. In 

 due course a bulky package arrived by parcels post 

 from the farm of Herr Schlange. I opened it with 

 happy expectation; it contained a neat, orderly and 

 fine collection of plants gathered by the well-mean- 

 ing peasants, but not one alfalfa plant among them ! 

 I am sure after seeing this yellow-blooming alfalfa 

 grow wild in the sand and holding its own against 

 the grass, that it has a place. in American agricul- 

 ture. Why not for Michigan, for example ? 



Transplanting Alfalfa. — The work of increasing 

 special strains of desirable alfalfa is being hastened 

 by transplanting the roots. Prof. N. E. Hansen has 

 inaugurated this interesting work. It is of espe- 

 cial interest to all that great region of semi-aridity 

 in the West and Northwest, where alfalfa seed pro- 

 duction is easiest and where it should naturally all 



