LYMAN’S GRIMM ALFALFA. 
I>. Hyron 15o!>l>, Institnto I.-eoturer, in an 
a(l(lr<^ss bt*foro the Tri-State Convention at 
l argo, N. D., 1918; 
“With all the millions of acres of alfalfa 
in lliG T'nited Slates there is yet need to 
import from Mediterranean countries more 
than one-finh of all the seed sown within 
our borders. This is what the T’nited States 
I)epartment of Agriculture has to say of 
this imported seed : 
Commercial Turkestan alfalfa seed is the 
cheapest seed on the Kuropean marki't. but 
sold by American seedsmen at a hiirher 
price than domestic seed; it is particu- 
larly imsiiitod to the humid eastern portion 
of the I'nited Stat<>s: it is mixed with a 
large assortment of foul and noxious weed 
seeds; it is not as hardy as other strains, 
recovers slowly after cutting, is of inferior 
hay yielding quality, and is an extremely 
poor seed producer. 
“What an arraignment! Can you beat it! 
And yet there are men who say we have no 
need of producing alfalfa seed, that we can 
import it cheaper from Kurope. These 
men are as cheap as is that seed. 
“Now listen to what the same authority 
says of the Grimm alfalfa: 
Extensive experiments eon ducted show 
conclusively that Grimm is thus far the 
most winter-hardy strain known. The 
very qualities that go for hardiness go 
also for drouth-resistance so that the 
Grimm is superior in this respect. No 
other strain recovers more quickly after 
cutting. It is one of the heaviest hay 
yielders in northern sections and possibly 
the best seed producer known. 
“This is the seed we grow. This is the 
seed we will grow in competition against 
the world. The day is not far distant when 
the nitrate beds of Chill will have become 
ohansted. but before that day dawns al- 
falfa will have come into its own. There 
will not be a farm in this I’nion upon 
wldch it will not be growing. Our Ameri- 
can farmers have already become purse- 
weary l>uying nitrates and are fast putting 
the alfalfa plant to work. A deterrent fac- 
tor has been the very great number of fail- 
nn‘s in the east to get alfalfa started, duo 
largely to the use of unsuitable seed. By 
reason of the climatic conditions — the freez- 
ing and thawing; the heaving and pulling 
action of the soils in all our eastern and 
central states — they require an alfalfa ex- 
ceptionally well developed in its root habit. 
This is just what the imported alfalfas 
have not — just what northern grown Grimm 
has.” 
Chazy, N. Y„ May 28, 1017. 
I^ir. A. B Lyman. 
Excelsior, Minn. 
Dear Sir: We are pleased to advise that 
the Grimm alfalfa purchased from yon is 
showing very satisfactory progress. It did 
not winter kill during the past season, has 
a good vigorous growth, and gives every 
indication of producing a large yield this 
year. Apparently it is well adapted to this 
section. 
Yours very truly, 
HEART’S DELIGHT FARM. 
.V 1»KKMANENT STAND OF ALFALFA 
M’iiiterkilling and Its Kcm«’d!v.s — By L, F. 
Garber. 
(The Country Gentleman, March 10, 19IT.) 
“But it still remains that even wli-i're 
every regulation of growing and haiulling 
alfalfa has been followed out. it may win- 
terkill. Where this oecurs then* is only 
one solution of the difTieulty: Use seeds of 
the hardiest-known varieties. 
There is all the difference in the world 
between various kinds of alfalfa. Some, 
like the Peruvian of the Southwest, cannot 
stand the slightest Northern frost. Others 
Mill weather through the hardest Minters 
and be ready for business the following 
spring. 
I Mill not say that any alfalfa is abso- 
lutely Minter-proof. but there are varieties 
that have a double-barreled, cast-iron hard- 
iness Miiich makes them nearly so. and far 
superior to the common kinds in Mith- 
Ftandlng the rigors of severe open Minter 
M’oather. 
There Is no doubt about it — the best 
alfalfas for tlm.so sections Miiere Minter- 
killing is a problem are the variegated 
strains. They are the hardiest, longest- 
lived and best all-round producing alLilfas 
yet discovered for the snoM’-bouud states. 
There are throe principal varieties or 
strains groMui here in the UnUed States — 
Grimm, Baltic and Cossack. The Grimm is 
by far the most Mudelj' groM’ii of the three. 
According to the records, Grimm alfalfa 
M’as introduced into Carver county. Min- 
nesota, in 1857, !).v Wondolin Grimm, an 
immigrant from Baden, Germany, lie 
brought M*ith him fifteen or tM'onty pounds 
of alfalfa S(*od, and soM'ed it in the spring 
of 1858. Just hoM* M'ell this first seeding 
of the “oM'iger Klee” — everlasting clover — 
as he called it, succeeded is not definitely 
known, but at least enough of the plants 
survived to furnish .seed for future soM'ings. 
and in 1807. 4S0 pounds M*ere threshed from 
throe acres. 
In after years it seems that Mr. Grimm’s 
neighbors attempfod to groM’ alfalfa M-ifh 
common seed produced in other states, but 
in nearly every case the stands M'inter- 
killed, M’hile the fields of Grimm M*ere not 
injured. The attention of the Minnesota 
station M’as called to this alfalfa in Ifmi. 
and by careful experimentation Grimm al- 
falfa M’as found to be far superior to com- 
mon kinds to M’ithstand unfavorable Min- 
tors. Since then its groM-th has been M-idelv 
extended in the alfalfa-seed-prodncing 
states of the West, but even now the Grimm 
seed Is high priced and it is rather hard 
to get the genuine article. 
The much-advertised Cossack alfalfa was 
produced in 1007 by the* I’nited States De- 
partment of AgrictilTure from Russia. It 
lias a more widely variegated floM-er than 
Grimm, but there is no evidence that it is 
superior in yields or hardiness in the 
humid states to Grimm or Baltic. 
6 
