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 davs 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 vears. 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. 
