Alfalfa Seed Yields 
11 
It is a well established fact that plenty of soil moisture is neces- 
sary for maximum yields of alfalfa hay. But it has also been well 
established that an over-abundance of moisture is not conductive to 
good seed production. The best seed yields seem to be secured where 
the moisture in the soil is somewhat limited or possibly limited at 
certain stages of the crop’s development. But just what the mois- 
ture requirements for alfalfa seed production are has not been 
fully determined. 
Soil moisture is extremely variable. The grower has a very 
limited opportunity for regulating the amount of moisture available 
to the crop. There are three ways in which a grower can partly 
control soil moisture for his alfalfa seed crop : 
1. By selecting a field properly located in relation to irrigation 
; and flood Avater, with a soil of suitable type for retaining and giving 
. up soil moisture. 
2. By applying water by such methods that the soil will not be 
over soaked. 
3. By using types of cultivation which will regulate soil moisture 
to some extent. 
At the beginning of the investigation, it seemed probable that a 
careful canvass of all methods followed by successful alfalfa seed 
growers Avould reveal a satisfactory solution of the soil moisture 
problem. But after a long observational study of the question under 
field conditions, it is clear that the solution of the problem is com- 
plex and difficult. A fcAV growers have found fairly successful 
A view of the alfalfa nursery, where the alfalfa was given different field spacing to test 
the effect of different spacings on seed production. 
