The Charles Mix new era. (Wagner, Charles Mix County, S.D.) 1???-1911, 1906-06-22
than any other perennial forage

In 1889 five one. fourth acre
plots were sown TO Tnrkestan
alfalfa distributed by the United
DO States Department of Agricni-
ture under s. P. I. No. 99l. Tie
seed of this alfalfa was origin.
10 ally obtained from the province
of Tashkend by Professor n. 4.
Hansenun his exploration tour
10 1893. Thre. Of these plots were
destroyed ia th. building of y
barn on the Station grounds.
% Two plots remain, and are al the
present time in better condition
than they have ever been before.
10 This variety OF alfalfa has
shown itself capable of giving
u hay crop whenever conditions
10 for short period of time have
been favorable to the growth
Of the plant. When the rainfall
o has been moderate during the
early part of the season and
drouth has prevailed during the
latter part, one good or fair early
o crop of alfalfa has been secured
When the moisture is insult.
cient early in the season aud
0 plentiful later. late crop has
been cut In n19o3and 1905, with
comparatively favorable condi.
G tions throughout the season, two
crops were obtained. Appar-
entity none of plants. Of this
Il variety have been killed by
o severe. cold or by severe drouth.
All the plants in the field seen
to be in strong and healthy
0 condition after the seven years
test.
Ol From plot B5 of alfalfa in 1903
the first cutting made j une 9th
yielded at the rateof2, OBJ p,asfds Z
y of hay per acre. The second
made August 9th, yielded at tine
rate Of $50 pounds per acre mak-
ing total yield for the seasoi
y OF one ton and 1860 pounds per
acre. In 1903 the same plot, be-
cause of late drouth, was cut
only once for hay. The yield
y for this early crop was 1,612
pounds per acre. In 1875, with
the soil very dry in the spriug,
y with All unusual amount of rain-
fall during the growing season,
two good crops We're cut, The
first crop was taken June 23i at
an average height Of one Got aud
ten inches. The yield for this
plot of one fourth acre was 537.I
: pounds, or at the rate of Que ton
and i4S pounds per acre. The
secoud cutting was made August
7tli, with plants about .wo feet
and eight inches in height.
This second crop was very much
heavier than the first crop be-
cause of the soil having received
q large amount OF rainfall and
the plants having recovered from
the dry fall aud spring of 1904
and 1905. The hay from this
crop was largely destroyed by
storm and rain. which very
materially lessened the weight |
The hay from this cutting weigh
} ed 335 pounds per Mot, or at the |
rate Of l,4i2 pounds per acre. /
The plot for the year give yield |
os one ton and 1850 pounds per
acre not taking into account the !
large loss to the second crop by |
storm. which was estidated TO
be about one third OF the entire /
second cutting. A good growth
was made after the second CUT
ting. but It was not thbugtht best
70 cut it SD late In the season,
il Several other plots of Turkes-
i tan. Samarkand and F.ench
alfalfa we're sown between 1899
and 1901. but they were not
grown in such a way as to give
q comparison between them aud
the above mentioned variety.
All OF the others have either been
killed out by severe winters or
piowed up because or poor