From Government Bulletin No. 209. By Charles J. Brand, Bureau Plant 
Industry, Washington, D. C. 
“Recognition of the superiority of the Grimm variety over ordinary 
alfalfa by Mr. Lyman and through him by Prof. Hayes of the Minnesota 
Station, marked a third era in the evolution of alfalfa culture in the North- 
west.” 
“The Grimm alfalfa is much hardier than the ordinary kinds obtained 
from Kansas, Utah and elsewhere, and there is even strong reason to 
believe that it is the hardiest known form of the cultivated plant. It not 
only endures extremely low temperatures with or without snow and other 
adverse conditions, but it can be cut with greater safety late in the fall and 
will bear more abuse in the way of pasturage than any other plant that has 
been compared with it until this time. There is some disagreement among 
investigators as to how Grimm alfalfa obtained its hardiness, but there is 
no difference of opinion that it is hardy. 
Fig. 2. A 2-year-OId Plant of Montana (at the left) Compared With Stand of 
Ori nun Alfalfa of Same Age (at the right). St. Anthony Park. Minn.. August. lOOn. 
“In his annual report in 1907, the Secretary of Agriculture predicted 
that the further extension of alfalfa growing on large areas is a prize that 
will be worth hundreds of millions of dollars annually. With due persistence 
and an intelligent use of present knowledge, the North and Northwest can 
now begin to collect at least a part of their ultimate share of this prize.” 
In the fall of 1904, we sold the Bureau of Plant Industry, Washington. 
D. C., their first lot of Grimm seed. One year I shipped the U. S. Depa-t- 
ment of Agriculture, twenty sacks of Grimm alfalfa. The next fall, I sold 
them another load of 4.000 lbs. 
Page 21, Bulletin No. 209. 
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