4 
Colorado Experiment Station 
Plate No. i is a view of this first alfalfa nursery plat, taken just a year 
from the date of seeding. The six rows of the large stooled crowns 
in the center were sown with the Turkestan seed. Each of the 
four rows to the left of the Turkestan rows were sown with the seed 
of some choice selected plant, while the four rows, to the right of the 
Turkestan rows, were sown with seed of commercial stock represent¬ 
ing ordinary alfalfa. So marked were the contrasts in this test in 
Plate No. 1.—The first alfalfa nursery, one year from date of seeding. 
Pour rows on the right sown from commercial seed; six row's in center, 
Turkestan alfalfa from Germany; four rows on the left seeded with seed 
from choice native or common alfalfa. 
favor of the imported seed, that it was evident that a wider test 
of varieties should be made, in order to find the best stock to be used 
as a basis for alfalfa seed breeding. 
During the season of 1906, the most promising plants in the six 
rows of Turkestan alfalfa were selected and saved for seed. Fifteen 
of these plants gave an average yield of over one and one-half ounces 
of seed per plant. They also seemed to possess desirable qualities for 
hay. The seed of each of these choice plants was saved separately. 
These with about fifty other varieties or strains received from Mr. J. 
M. Westgate of the U. S. Bureau of Plant Industry, furnished the 
seed for a second alfalfa nursery test. This nursery was sown April 
