"5 



in this connection, that some of our agricultural papers recommend 

 the use of nitrate of soda at the time of seeding. The reason given 

 for this is that the young plants do not develop the ability to get 

 nitrogen out of the air at once. To tide them over the period of 

 scarcity it might be well to use nitrate of soda. In my own opinion 

 this is not necessary except where the soil is very poor, but after all 

 it is not advisable to attempt the growing of alfalfa on the poorest 

 land. It is better to improve it with fertilizers and manure, for 

 alfalfa does not do well on land that lacks fertility. 



The next step that we have to consider after we have applied 

 the lime and fertilizer is the question of inoculation. We must 

 decide how to introduce those bacteria that are to form a partnership 

 with the plants, and developing on their roots, will enable them to 

 draw nitrogen from the atmosphere. The farmer has at his dis- 

 posal several methods of inoculating the soil or "vaccinating" the 

 soil, as some one has put it. He might take soil from a field where 

 alfalfa has grown, or he might use what is called an artificial cul- 

 ture of bacteria. Such cultures may be secured free of charge from 

 the Department of Agriculture at Washington. The process of pre- 

 paring cultures is rather simple. The bacteriologist will go out 

 into a field and will dig up a quantity of plants. He will wash off 

 the roots in clean water, break off one of those little nodules, which 

 contains many thousands of bacteria, and will immerse it into a so- 

 lution of corrosive sublimate or strong alcohol, to kill the bacteria 

 adhering to the outside of the nodule. He will then cut that little 

 nodule open, and with a sterile needle will transfer some of the con- 

 tents into a solution made up of several salts that can be bought at 

 any drug store. This solution is for the bacteria a culture medium, 

 just as flour and water make a culture medium for yeast in bread 

 making. In any favorable culture medium the bacteria multiply 

 very rapidly. Some of the commercial cultures, instead of coming 

 in liquid form, are sold as a jelly similar to that bought for making 

 pudding. 



I cannot emphasize too much the importance of inoculation, 

 as well as of liming and of proper preparation of the seed bed. 



Something should be said about the seed. Failures in alfalfa 

 growing occur in spite of proper liming, inoculation and fertili- 

 zation, and these failures are almost always attributable to poor 

 seed. The Colorado Experiment Station has been carrying on some 

 very interesting experiments for the last two years on alfalfa seed 

 from different sources. 



A great deal of the seed that comes from southern Europe is 

 not hardy enough for our climate. Unfortunately, however, many 

 of us do not inform ourselves as to the source of the seed. We 

 should make certain that it is derived from a proper source. So 

 many of us fail to make proper inquiries concerning the origin of 

 the seed, and for this reason fail in the growing of alfalfa. 



If time would permit I should like to discuss the second part 

 of alfalfa production, the handling and curing of the hay, but I 



