Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-06-15
WRITES OF ALFALFA.
Experiments With Governments Bac-
terra and Gives Results.


Experiments With Governments Bac-
terra and Gives Results.
In reply to inquiries concerning the
experiment mentioned in the In
last year of inoculating alfalfa WIN
bacteria furnished by the Uhlteu
States department of agriculture, the
conditions to date are as folloWs.
Seed that had been we'll moistened
with the solution, according to dlrec-
lions. was sown on we'll prepared
ground June so. A good stand fol-
lowed, but after a while, weeds came
up thickly and the young alfalfa seem
ed to fall behind. Clipping with the
mower July 81, when six to elght
inches long, did little good, but AFTER
the weeds were killed by frost the al
falfa improved and went into winter
looking we'll, tho no noduies We're
found on the roots 1t survived the
winter without percept1ble loss, put as
spring growth started, 1t became APP
parent that the greater portion was
not having a vigorous. healthy growth,
being yellow and sickly looking Scat
tering plants here and there over the
field were shootin ahead with the right
color and narrow strip along one
edge was also very Thrifty. On exam
! ination nearly all of the large scat
tered plants were found well supplied
with nodules. tho none were dlscoN-
cred in the good strip mentioned. The
| probable explanation of this is. that
| while the main field, tho naturally an
| ideal soil, is in temporarily impov-
erished condition, having been allow
ed to go wild and mature heavy
growth Of weeds in 1908; the narrow
| strip is about two burrows wide of an
old fence row of heavy blue grass sod.
This tends to corroborate the opinion
of Wallace's Farmer that to make
practical farm crop of alfalfa the first
| requisite is that the soil should be in
as high state of fertility and free
from weeds as possible. In fact, with
that given there seems reasonable
| chance of success without the bacter-
ial incubation. A patch examined last
week on the rich soil of DIR. Burroughs
farm supports that idea; and if l am
correctly informed about the fine
growth at the Soldiers Home. that is
even stronger evidence in the same
| line.
| II the main object be soil improve
ment it is quite another matter and
/ for that the presence OF the nitrogen
| fixing parasites seems indispensable.
My present opinion. however, would be
in favor introducing them thru fsoil
known to be infected rather than to
experiment with any of the nitro cul-
| lures" now quite widely advertised.
Applications for the government cul-
| lures had already exhausted the sup
| ply available for this season in Feb
| ruary, but to those willing to expert
ment would suggest trying the bac-
terra found on the roots of the common
wild sweet clover or melilotus, which
is said to thrive on alfalfa. This can
| be found by the roadside In most
| neighborhoods, and by carefully dig
| ging few plants and rubbing off the
adhering soil and modules, a pint or so
of material to mix with quart of all
| falfa seed would be about right for
| one eighth of an acre. Sown any time
within month, on clean, we'll pre-
pared ground this, if successful would
| furnish enough bacteria for many
acres next year. Any readers conven-
lent to Marshalltown are invited to
help themselves from my fields, one
mile north from the waterworks on the
Center street road.
4 Have delayed writing in hopes the
infected areas would spread: but there
is hardly an progress perceptible and
less than 10 per cent are affected thus
far. Hope this partial failure will not
discourag e other tests in this locallty;
there should be enough reports of trials
from T.-R. subscribers so that we may
have something to go by. A dozen re-
ports of trials here at home would be
worth more to use than all the mag
4 azine articles and department reports
ever printed. For instance, TIE depart
ment of agriculture's bulletin No. ia
claims 70 per cent of successful ex-
periments, with alfalfa; while the ac-
tual facts are that from b,129 packets
sent out, only 1880 reports were re-
ceived of which 667 reported definite
increase of crop" and 244 report enc
evident advantage, modules not form
ed" AS one of the 3,749 who had not
reported I feel privileged to inquire
If that percentage were reckoned by
the Speers' method?
Alfalfa has hard task to compete
with the heavy growth of common rec
| clover in central Iowa this season, anc
as soil improvers there are several
legumes that seem decidedly superior
here. In that line I am, incidentally
having an interesting experience with
a patch of winter vetches in the alfal-
ia field and will try to give an ac-
count of it in the next Strawpile.
WILL. H WILSON.