You. ee, No. 2. 
oy 
¢ 
February 1, 1914. 





a An entirely new innovation, which will doubtless be followed 
n the near. future by other lines, is just being undertaken by the 
Chicago Burlington and Quincy Railway by which “every inch of till- 
able ground along the 10,000 miles of track of the Burlington rail-— 
_ Way system is to be turned over to farmers and sewed in alfalfa and 
" Maintained as a perfect.lawn. The company has several good reasons 
nor the innovation. 
"It is believed that by maintaining an evergreen right of way. 
"as alfeifa never dries in the ground, much of the danger from right 
og way fires will be eliminated. 
ae "Speaking of the plan John B. Lamson, agriculturist for ‘the 
_ Burlington road, said: 
e "'fThere are a number of reasons for planting our right of way 
' with alfalfa. First, we hope in this way to extend the field of 
’ alfalfa, to interest more farmers in the cultivation of this wonder— 
\ ful hay. It will fill the right of way that is tillable, and where 
» nothing but weeds now grow. This will of course be a financial ben— 
al efit to the farmer. Alfalfa is ever green and will, we think, pre—- 
"vent many fires that occur by sparks falling along the right of way. 
ro During dry times ordinary vegetation, particularly weeds, along the 
a right of way, become dry and easily catch fire from Locomotive sparks. 
These sparks falling on green alfalfa will do no harm. 
"Another reason, and one which may appeal more to the gen— 
@ral public, is that the alfalfa will present a pretty appearance from 
the car windows, will keep down dust to some extent and will give the 
appearance of the train running through a high grass lawn. Alfalfa 
resembles a flower and the optical result may be more pleasing than 
We imagine. 
‘ "'OoP? course, there are many places where the right of way is in 
"cuts or on hillsides, where cultivation of the right of way is out of 
ene question, but we estimate that roughly there will be between 
- 85,000 and 50,000 acres of right of way that will be available to the | 
‘farmers. 
: *'The right of way land will be leased to owners of farms adjoin 
“ing such right of way at $5 for each farm. Already we have received 
' @ number of signed leases. This amount will be paid but once and will 
be for all time, the idea for a nominal charge being to establign a 
contractual relation between the railroad and the farmers. | 
oe In some recent correspondence with Mr. Lamson he ane him-— 
“gelf as very anxious to cooperate with us in keeping a surveillance | 
over the railroads right of way with reference to the entomological \ 
| Significance of this new course that his road is taking up. In all 
probability the same course will be followed by other trunk lines, 
thus openings up a new feature of our work, 
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Among the recent visitors in the office were Dr. H. T. Fernald, 
Amherst, oo; Dr. W. EH. Britton, New Haven, Conn.; Dr. EH. P. Felt, 
Albany, Meret Erol rs. Parrott, Geneva, N. Y.; Dr. C. Gordon Hew | 
_ Ottawa, Canada; and Mr. J. R. Parker, Bozeman, Mont. 



