41 



Leonard A. Heil, of the Texas Live Stock Journal, San Antonio, 

 Tex.: 



Alfalfa has been successfully raised in this locality only by irrigation, which is 

 practicable to but a limited extent. There are those who claim that it can be success- 

 fully grown with only the natural rains, but after careful investigation I seriously 

 doubt its practicability. 



James Perry, Whitesborough, Northeastern Texas: 



Alfalfa is a fair success in our black waxy soil, and can be cut twice a year, yield- 

 ing one to three tons at a cutting. Broadcast sowing is the usual method, and seems 

 to be sufficient on clean land. It stands the drought well and the freeze of ordinary 

 winters. Three years ago, however, I had seven acres badly killed by u spewing up" 

 in winter, but the scattering plants that remained are doing well. 



C. A. Graves, Fiskville, Central Texas : 



It is cultivated here only to a small extent. It dies out in spots, just as cotton, 

 sweet potatoes, and some other vegetables do, and apparently for the same unknown 

 reason. In some localities, the spots where it dies out cover one-fourth of the ground. 

 The uncertainty of moisture on and near the surface for any length of time, owing 

 to hot suns and drying winds, makes the catch from all seeds that germinate near 

 the surface uncertain. 



Dr. E. P. Stiles, Austin, Tex. : 



Alfalfa is not permanent here. For two or three years it will j>roduce good crops, 

 and then it begins to die out in circular patches. The spots increase in size until in 

 a year or two they become confluent. Cotton plants sometimes die in the same way, 

 and apple-trees put into such soil are subject to a sudden blight. I have never known 

 Alfalfa to be killed by either cold or drought, but its growth is very slight in very 

 dry soil. In Green County it is grown quite successfully under irrigation, but it dies 

 in some localities there the same as here. 



J. E. Willett, Farinington, Northwestern New Mexico: 



Alfalfa grows finely here, and yields so enormously that we want nothing better. 

 We cut it four times during the season, obtaining a ton and a half of hay at each 

 cutting. We raise nothing here except by irrigation. As soon as the crop is taken 

 off we turn on the water in many places at once and flood the land for several days, 

 for Alfalfa requires an abundance of water, notwithstanding the fact that land 

 which is low and wet will not answer. It flourishes on rock uplands that are very 

 poor, but must have plenty of water at the right time. The soil is filled with large, 

 long roots, reaching as deep as 20 feet. 



George H. Jones, Naranjos, Northwestern New Mexico : 



It grows well without irrigation after the second or third year on any ordinary soil, 

 and yields very satisfactory results where properly put in. I know one piece which 

 has stood eight years and still yields well. 



A. L. Siler, Eanch, Utah : 



I know Lucerne patches that have stood for twenty-four years, and they are as 

 productive as when first planted. It does well with irrigation on any porous soil, 

 yielding 4 to 6 tons per acre. Without irrigation, it would produce nothing. 



William Leainan, Cannonsville, Utah : 



Lucerne does very well in this mountain country, where there is very little rain, 

 and produces from 2 to 2£ tons per acre, and makes from three to four crops per year. 

 But I am well satisfied that it will not stand much wet weather, as excessive water- 

 ing kills it here, and water running over it in the winter and forming ice over it 

 kills it, 



