304 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 



successes in the state to justify the encouragement of 

 further trials. It is equally clear, however, that anyone 

 planting alfalfa for the first time should not only give 

 careful heed to the needs of the plant and to the methods 

 of culture outlined later, but should begin by experiment- 

 ing in a small way. The most significant thing developed 

 by the analysis of the returns to date is that the crop seems 

 to succeed best in the Champlain valley. Why is this? 

 Probably one factor, not apparent on the surface, is that 

 the men who have succeeded in Addison county are 

 largely sheep breeders who value the crop so highly in 

 their special industry that they are willing to give more 

 attention to its culture than are the dairy farmers. It 

 should be recalled in this connection, however, that the 

 evidence reviewed indicates practical success with alfalfa 

 at Plattsburgh and in adjacent Canadian territory. 

 Without pressing the matter to a definite conclusion, we 

 consider two thingsto be at least strongly suggested and 

 worthy to be borne in mind in connection with further ex- 

 periments in alfalfa culture : ( i ) The chances of per- 

 manent success with it are probably better in Vermont 

 than they are farther south and east in New England. 

 This may be in part attributable to soil conditions and in 

 part to climate, the latter being associated with greater 

 remoteness from the seashore, (2) In Vermont the 

 chances of success in its culture seem to be greater in the 

 Champlain valley than elsewhere. The reasons suggest- 

 ed in the above may apply in explanation of this. 

 The nature of the geological formations is also worthy 

 of consideration. It seems not unlikely that the rela- 



