28 FORAGE CROPS IN NEBRASKA. 



as follows: June 14, 515 pounds; July 20, 590 pounds; August 20, 

 305 pounds, or a total for the season of 5.61 tons per acre. 



In 1901 the }deld on the one-eighth acre was: Jane 5, 615 pounds; 

 July 19, 160 pounds; August 20, 125 pounds; a total of 3.22 tons per 

 acre. In 1902 the yield on June 9 was 415 pounds; in 1903, June 11, 

 475 pounds; July 23, 365 pounds; a total of 3.34 tons per acre. The 

 results of this test are especially satisfactory, as showing that Turkestan 

 alfalfa is well adapted to Nebraska conditions, and that in a dry season 

 such as 1901 it yields larger crops than the ordinary alfalfa. 



Peruvian alfalfa. — Seed was obtained from C. Bonifiez, Peru, 

 through the Division of Agrostology of the Department of Agricul- 

 ture, and was sown on May 11, 1900. The stand was good and the 

 growth vigorous, but the plot was badl} r injured each winter, till, in 

 1903, there was none remaining. 



Samarkand alfalfa. — Sown May 11, 1900. The stand was good and 

 subsequent growth vigorous, with no loss from winter killing; but the 

 growth was not so tall as common alfalfa, or as Turkestan alfalfa. In 

 1902 and 1903 crops were obtained from this plot, but the plot is too 

 small for an accurate estimate of the yield to be determined. Owing 

 to the small growth, it was estimated that the }delds were less than 

 from the ordinary or the Turkestan alfalfa. To offset the effect of 

 shorter growth the stand is much thicker than that of ordinary alfalfa. 

 It appears to be a strong drought-resisting plant, and if it is to have 

 any value it will be on the highlands of the West. 



Seed from different States. — Alfalfa obtained from five different 

 States — Arizona, California, Colorado, Kansas, and Utah — was tested. 

 The plots were sown in 1898 by drilling the seed in rows 6 inches 

 apart. They all grew about equally well until the winter of 1898-99, 

 when the alfalfa from Arizona and California was almost entirely 

 killed out. At the same time the Colorado alfalfa was injured, while 

 the Utah and Kansas plants did not suffer so much as those just men- 

 tioned, though more than the Turkestan alfalfa or that from Nebraska- 

 grown seed. 



There was no further marked loss from winter killing until the 

 winter of 1902-3, when the remainder of the Arizona and California 

 plants entirely disappeared, the Colorado crop suffered further injury, 

 and both the Utah and Kansas alfalfa were injured to some extent. 



The conclusions to be drawn from this experiment are that it is not 

 desirable to bring alfalfa seed from a southern to a more northern 

 region, or from an irrigated to a nonirrigated soil. 



OTHER EXPERIMENTS WITH ALFALFA. 



A series of experiments was carried on for the purpose of testing 

 the effect of planting alfalfa in rows and the effect of a few kinds of 

 fertilizers. Plot 43, drilled 24 inches apart, and plot 44, drilled 18 



