Free press., 1907-10-05
THE RISKS IN ALFANFA SEED.

can render alfalfa growers no bet
ter service in one brief communica-
ton than urge upon them, with en-
phasis. the utmost caution and pains
taking in securing and sowing none
but the highest quality of seed. This
quality means not only seed demon
strated as ninety or more per cent
germinable. but free from the adui-
terations and impurities likely to be
found present, most frequently from
carelessness or shiftlessness, but of
ten from design, and sometimes from
both. Alfalfa seed is expensive at
best, and doubly or trebly so if it
will not grow or carries with it trash
and quantities of other seeds which
stock a field, farm or a neighbOr-,
hood with weed pests that interfere
with or crowd out the alfalfa, dis
place expected profit with positive
loss. and provoke profanity.
Recognizing the fact that much Of
the seed on sale is entirely unre
table, the Agricultural Department at
Washington, and some of the more
wide-awake experiment stations, have
been making tests to discover the de-
fects and values of seed ordinarily
found III the market, and some start
ling revelations are the result. The
Washington Investigators for eX
ample found in one pound of so
called alfalfa seed on sale, 30. 20
noxious weed seeds; in another 22 -G82
and in still another 21,848. Of the
first named pound less than SO per
cent was alfalfa; less than 20 per
cent was germinable, and among its
impurities were $40 seeds of cod
der-surely the DEVILS own inVen
tion. One pound of another lot con-
tanned only fraction over 5 per cent /
that would grow, and of a third lot
but slightly over six per cent.
The Ohio station bought for testing
fifteen different samples. a dollars
worth each. pound from one of
these carried 1914 lambs quarter or
pigweed seeds, and another 6,42G
seeds of crab grass and 1926 of fox
tail. Seed supposedly costing $3.50
per bushel was. when cleaned, found
to have cost actually $12.74 per
bushel
The Oklahoma station, among
many samples, tested one having 60
per cent pure seed and 40 per cent Of
impurities. Only G5 per cent was
germinable. Another sample which
at first sight would be classified as
good" was found to contain per
pound 453 witch grass seeds, 80
plantain seeds, 151 crab grass seeds,
80 wild carrot seeds, 453 foXtail |
seeds and 155 Russian thistle seeds. |
AS the official who made this test |
says. if twenty pounds of alfalfa seed
of this grade were used to sow an
acre one would have approximately |
two seeds of witch grass and two
foxtail seeds for every ten square |
feet; four seeds of plantain, seven |
Russian thistle and six seeds OF crab |
grass for each hundred square feet.
These would doubtless grow and the |
mischief they might lead to nobody |
can estimate.
Among samples of alfalfa" seed
offered for sale Professor Roberts, of
the Kansas Experiment Station.
found one with more than SO per
cent of impurities and "a different
kinds of foreign seeds, and these
constituted 31.5 per cent of the
whole In this lot were also 3.S per
cent of trash and dirt and 53 per cent /
of the seeds true to name We're in
capable of termination. Another
sample was 1913 per cent impurities
and 53.3 of the remainder valueless.
Killed by Freight Train. = Floyd |