Thirty-fourth Annual Convention. ^^^ 



was secured and the fall growth was sufficient to thoroughly es- 

 tablish the plants and they passed through the winter in good 

 condition. It was observed, too, that weeds were not nearly so 

 troublesome as with spring seeding on the same ground. A seed- 

 ing made at the same time by Mr. Ellis House at Bicknell, In- 

 diana, was also highly satisfactory. 



After these encouraging results, it was determmed m tne 

 summer of 1906 to further test the practicability of such late 

 seeding by similar experiments in various parts of the state. A 

 ^tter stating the problem and outlining the plan of the experi- 

 ments was sent to about seventy-five farmers with a request for 

 their co-operation. Arrangements for sixty-one experiments 

 were completed about the middle of July. Five pounds of alfalfa 

 seed to be sown on a quarter acre plot was sent to each experi- 

 menter with the understanding that he would sow it according to 

 instructions and report the condition of the plot before winter 

 and again in April. The instructions for soil preparation and 

 seeding were in part as follows 



"Any well drained piece of fallow or stubble ground will do 

 for the experiment. Prepare the ground as you would for a good 

 corn crop and do it as soon as possible. If the ground is at all 

 hard or inclined to break up cloddy, double disk it once or twice 

 before plowing, and again right after. Go over the plat with a 

 harrow at intervals often enough to keep a loose mulch on top 

 to preserve moisture for seeding. It will be necessary to be very 

 careful in preparing the ground at this season of the year in or- 

 der to get a sufficiently moist seed-bed. Sow all the alfalfa seed 

 we shall send you on a quarter acre plat, as soon after the first 

 of August as the moisture conditions will permit. In northern 

 sections the seeding should in no case be delayed later than 

 August 10, and in southern sections not later than August 25. 

 Cover the seed with a smoothing harrow. 



The tests reported were conducted on 57 different farms lo- 

 cated in 42 different counties. 



A report covering a list of questions concerning the soil, 

 time of seeding, stand secured, whether conditions, presence of 

 root nodules, amount of fall growth and general thriftiness of the 

 plat was secured in November, .and another report concerning 

 winter-killing and spring condition was secured in the latter part 

 of April. A summary of 57 such reports, covering the principal 

 points of interest, is presented herewith : 



