EXPERIMENTS WITH ALFALFA. 31 



mixture with timothy, which appears to be unable to compete with 

 alfalfa. In the mixture of several g-rasses it was the orchard grass 

 that took the lead, the plot being estimated to consist of about one- 

 third of this grass. 



Another plot of alfalfa and brome-grass sown in equal parts in 1899 

 has had a similar development, but at the present time the brome- 

 grass has succeeded in nearly crowding out the alfalfa. In the plots 

 where brome-grass was sown with alfalfa — both the common and 

 Turkestan — it was noted that the grass appeared more vigorous in 

 those places where the alfalfa was thickest, and that the grass in these 

 plots appeared also to be more vigorous than in adjacent plots where 

 there was no alfalfa. It would appear that the brome-grass derived 

 some advantage from the fertilizing effect of the alfalfa. (See PI. 

 IV, fig. 2.) 



It will be of interest to record here the results obtained b} T two 

 correspondents in sowing alfalfa upon native grass in the sand-hill 

 region. 



William Fagan, foreman of the Robert Taylor ranch at Abbott, Hall 

 County, states that he disked the sandy sod three times, lapping the 

 disk half each time, and sowed 20 pounds of seed per acre. This was 

 in the spring of 1902. A good stand was obtained, and in 1903 a 

 crop of hay was cut consisting of about one-third prairie hay and 

 two-thirds alfalfa. The alfalfa succeeded better on the knolls where 

 the sod was more thoroughly broken. 



Mr. H. W. Sullivan, Broken Bow, Custer County, states: lC Begin- 

 ning in the earl}- spring and continuing up until August, I caused light 

 sandy soil to be broken. I disked this well, harrowed it down 

 smoothly, put seed in with a press drill, 15 pounds to the acre, and got 

 a splendid stand on every foot of it." He remarks that the best stand 

 seemed to follow the August sowing. 



Meadow Fescue. 



Meadow fescue {Festuca pratensis) is a native of Europe and has been 

 cultivated in this country for many years. It can not compete with 

 timothy where the latter is at its best, but being more drought resist- 

 ant, its range is somewhat more extended in the West, as indicated in 

 the paragraph upon orchard grass. It is more common in the Middle 

 South, where it is grown as a winter grass, being sown in the autumn. 



In Nebraska it is recommended that it be sown with orchard grass 

 in the spring. It can also be sown alone or with clover, and in 

 Nebraska is best adapted for pasture, though it can also be used for 

 hay. For the latter purpose, however, brome-grass or alfalfa give 

 better returns. 



Man} T seedsmen sell meadow fescue under the name of English blue- 

 grass, but the latter name is inappropriate, as the grass is not a 



