32 
1 'he Colorado Experiment Station 
of improving the stand of forage plants employed by the Federal 
Forest Service* in some regions. 
These methods involve the follow^ing means: (1) Fencing and 
resting the land during parts of one season or for parts of several 
seasons, (2) rotation of pastures, (3) reducing the number of stock 
grazed on a given area, (4) reseeding the area with or without 
previous cultivation. 
The seriousness of the dandelion as a weed in the alfalfa field 
is a matter which has elicited considerable discussion in this State. 
There are those who claim most emphatically that dandelions will 
crowd out alfalfa, while others, with equal positiveness, declare 
that they cannot. Alfalfa is doubtless our most persistent and 
dependable cultivated forage plant, and under favorable conditions 
it can compete successfully with almost any other plant classed as 
a weed. In fact, alfalfa is recommended as one of the best smother 
crops to be used in crowding out farm weeds.t In some cases, 
however, the alfalfa may not succeed well and may die out, thus 
opening the way for the less exacting weeds. The alfalfa may 
fail because of one or a combination of unfavorable factors. These 
may be :(1) Unfavorable climatic conditions which lead to winter 
killing, (2) unfavorable soil conditions, either due to chemical or 
physical composition or lack of proper moisture conditions, (3) 
improper treatment of the crop in its management on the farm, 
and (4) injuries caused by parasitic diseases, insect pests and ro¬ 
dents. The fact that alfalfa can hold its own against all weed en¬ 
croachment, in many cases for long periods, is clear evidence that 
when weeds do appear to crowd it out there exists some one or 
more conditions unfavorable for its thrifty growth. 
In a measure, alfalfa is capable of crowding itself out. Thus 
it has been found that, during the first few years, following a 
heavy seeding, there is a reduction in the number of plants in the 
stand amounting often to nearly two-thirds, without any decrease 
in the production of the crop. This thinning of the stand is the 
natural process by which the weaker plants are eliminated by the 
more vigorous ones, but it normally ceases when a balance has been 
established between the surviving plants. When, however, this 
thinning continues to such an extent that weeds like the dandelion 
* Bentley, H. L. “Experiments In Range Improvements in Central Texas,” 
Bur. Plant Indus. Bui. 13, 1902. 
Cotton, J, S. “The Improvement of Mountain Meadows.” Bur. Plant Indus. 
Bui. 127, 1908. 
Forbes, R. H. “Range Improvement and Administration.” U. S. D. A. 
Experiment Station Bui. 115, pp. 85-86, 1901. 
Griffiths, David. “Forage Conditions and Problems in Eastern Washing¬ 
ton, Eastern Oregon, Northeastern California and Northwestern Nevada.” Bur. 
Plant Indus. Bui. 38, 1903. 
t See Formers’ Bulletin 660 , “Weeds; How In Control Them.” C. .S. D. .A. 
