10 
Colorado Experiment Station 
A different view of an alfalfa nursery, showing the variation in the development of alfalfa 
plants. The small plats are grown from seed from an individual source. Differences can 
be seen in the progenies, as each plat represents a progeny. 
hay yields to a certain extent. But the largest crowns did not pro- 
duce the highest yields. Crowns were found that would occupy over 
four square feet of ground. Such crowns were developed from a 
single seed. These extra large crowns produce enormous numbers of 
stems. But the stems are usually fine and short. Consequently, the 
large crowns do not usually make maximum hay yields. 
5. The selections for high seed yields located a number of plants 
that produce as high as eight ounces of clean seed per plant. But 
the progenies grown from these high seed yielding plants in the sub- 
sequent generations have not produced uniformly high seed yielding- 
plants. There is some evidence of a slightly better seed setting- 
tendency. But it seems apparent that the heavy seed yields which 
are often found with individual plant's are not entirely due to strong ii 
inherent seed setting qualities. Evidently there are other factors, | 
local or inherent, which favor or retard the setting of seed. Hence, ! 
seed selection alone does not seem an adequate solution of the ' 
problem. I 
IRRIGATION AND MOISTURE REQUIREMENTS FOR 
ALFALFA SEED YIELDS 
The proper amount of soil moisture required for the best yields ' 
of alfalfa seed has long been regarded as one of the first essential 
conditions for the successful production of alfalfa seed. 
