Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1889-09-12
pxLAwAKs COLLEGE, STATION.



NEWARK, Sept 9.-Altalfa has long been |
recognized In the old world and in many
parts Of the west as the most profitable, |
advantageous aud economical crop which
farmer can cultivate, bat for mauy rea. |
Sons 1t has never been extensively grown |
in this part Of the country. II il is ever
generally grown in this State the Della |
ware College agricultural experiment |
station will be solsly responsible for the |
introduction and fostering OF this new /
agricultural industry and there is Abund- !
ant promise that ths experimauts and in
vestigations now being made upon the I
subject at the station in this town will /
accomplish this 'deyoutly to be wished"
result.
To appreciate the importance OF the |
work of the experiment station on this
suriect it IL asccssary to describe this /
crop, at present little known 70 the |
farmers of the Peninsula. Alfalfa, or
lucern, is essentially a forage plant, re-
semhling clover, not only in feeding
value but also Ia ita hnbita o. growth aud
effects upon following crops. 1t haa
been cultivated extensively in Europe Tor
nearly q coo years. In South America,
IN California aud other portions OF the
west it's value az fodder plant is fully
appreciated. II haB the following dis.
Sinct advantages over other forage crops:
1t rs tit for soiling purposes as early as
the third week in May; II may be cut
three or four times each season; the Sec
ond and later growths, il harvested ~
soon as blossoms appear, mako an excel
lent hay; whom rooted well 1t success
fully resists both drouth and frost; under
favorable conditions it does not run
OUT for many years.
These advantages are claimed to be
Just what the Delaware farmers need In
forage crop, as clover ia 30 exhaustive to
the soil that it can not be successfully
grown upon the sane ground except at
intervals of Eve or six years. Alfalfa on
the other hand, supplies the soil with
lust the properties which it needs and
leaves 1t in good condition for following
Sropa. Experiments conducted last year
by the New Jersey station demonstrated
its superior richness lin nutritive and
fibre producing substances in comparison
with clover and timothy. It is richer
also in fat. proteine and carbohydrates
and hiss q feeding value estimated to be
As per contain higher than clover, 66 per
oentum better than timothy. Pro.
teine ss food material has an estimated
value per pound Of over four cents, and
it can be substituted for such waste prod
ucts as wheat bran, cotton seed meal
&o., nsually bought in order to prohta-
bly, utilize the excess of carbohydrates.
While crop of alfalfa makes great
demand upon the available plant food
suoh food is not taken so much from the
soil as from the air. II has been demon
strated thot alfalfa, as leguminous
plant, has the power of assimilating large
amounts OF nitrogen from the atmos-
paere when sufficient phosphoric acid,
potash and lime are in the soil. Nitrogen
ia the basis OF the compound proteine,
the most valuable part of the food pro-
duct, and it is also the most costly ele-
ment 10 tertilizing compounds. 1t serves
therefore, not only as q manufacturer of
the chief element OF food, but also az q
collector from sources otherwise inacoes-
sible Of the most valuable fertilizlng
agent. fulfilling at the same time the
proper aim Of agriculture, which 10 to
transform into produce the raw materials
at Hour disposal in the atmosphere and
soil.
Director Nsale of the experiment sta
ton sees 10 reason why such an
economical and productive plant should
not be grown on the Peninsula and he
does not take es n criterion the repeated
failures attending former trials in this
direction. He is satisfied that there is
nothing in the soil of Delaware to pre-.
yens its growth and ia inclined to the
theory that the trouble lios in the seed.
IT ia in order TO definitely locate the
trouble that investigations are now under
way. DURING the spring the station had
planted in 20 different places over the
b.lta small plots of alfalfa under various
conditions The seed was the best to be
obtained but in no case was the expert.
neut altogether successful. Some fair
cuttings were obtained at FIRST in some
riots but disease or blight soemsd soon
60 over.nke it
The new hot house connected with the
uta.,on, AMI described in recent issue
OF the GAZETTE, now promises to play
an important part in the future investi
cations as to the failures in Delaware
Fer this purpose soil has been COLLECTED
from mary parts of the State, and thil
will undergo complete sterilization in
the stStiop, This is done by filling sil
iron cylinders with soil and heating them
at intervals of from "a to 48 hours to I
Temperature OF 100 degrees oentigrade
or 2l2 degrees Fahrenheit. This is dom
q half dozen times, the heatings extend
order to kill all forms OF animal life re
manning in the earth. OF course thi
high Temperature maintained for man,
houta viii! destroy all ordinary forms o
animal life, but the conditions have 4
be varied in order tc kill an infinitesi
msIly minute and destructive inssc
called spors. This is simply reproduC
tive organ of bacteria, which is especial
refractory in heat and desicoation, bu
cannot withstand moiatened heat. Th
last hsatings are made by steam, an
longer intervals are observed in steam
ing in order TO allow tina spores to mu
tipiy aud develop whep they may tn
more readily ia killed. After this sever
ordeal tho soil il absolutely devoid G
animal life, but still must undergo
microscopic examination under snla
instrument costing 5000.
The soil is then transferred to iro
cyliders inches in diameter and !
inches deep, each one to contain
pounds OF soil The bottom is fuon'
shaped, having a stratum Of sand quart
2 inches deep 10 prevent the %
mission OF animal life from b.
low. There will be eight of tibet
oyiindors-four filled with sterilized an
the rost with normal soil. In these wi
be planted Alfalfa Raed in both the norm
and chemically treated states. To destro
any disease ON the outside of the seed
will be treated beforehand with coppt
sulphate, the formula of which is Gu so
Two cans will bs devoted to each con
biastion OF the soil aud seed as follow
eka L. IL, fEtA