Alfalfa Seed Yields 
5 
Abnormal r6ot development of hardy plants grown from cuttings. 
carried out with practical growers, in addition to the carefully 
planned work on the Experiment Station grounds. 
' In describing the progress of these investigations, it seemed best 
:o present the matter under the topical heads which might be con- 
ddered the principal factors apparently influencing alfalfa seed 
Ipelds. No attempt has been made to arrange these topical heads in 
"the order of importance because their relative importance has not 
been determined by the experiment. 
] SEED SETTING TENDENCY OF DIFFERENT VARIETIES 
It is noticeable in every field of alfalfa left for seed that there 
is a great range of difference in the seed yields of different plants. 
Jlhis characteristic is apparent, even when all of the plants are grow- 
iing under as nearly similar conditions as it is possible to impose. 
I Phis fact, observed as early as 1904, led to the -selection of a number 
)f heavily seeded plants of common alfalfa, with a view of testing 
1 3ut plants with strong seed yielding tendencies in the hopes of 
fieveloping an improved strain of alfalfa with strong seed produc- 
^ing power. 
I The first selections were sown in the spring of 1905. At the same 
time there were put out tests of imported Turkestan alfalfa seed. 
