The Dickinson press., 1910-04-02
GROWING OF alfalfa
Supt. Wafdron Urges importance Of Procuring the
Genuine Seed. No Reason Why North Dakota
Should Not Grow 1000, 900 Acre. Of Alfalfa.

The legislature of 19O4-19O5 made a
provision whereby the Dickinson Sub
experiment station was established.
The early years of a station are neces-
sarily rather barren but We believe that
the results secured during the first five
years. with regard to alfalfa alone. will
more than pay the total expenses of the
station to date, when they have become
applied to the agriculture Of North Da-
kota. The results with alfalfa have more
than a local application. They may
be applied to farming conditions over
the entire northern United States. east
of the Rockies. It will take several
years for the results to be put into prac-
tice but eventually this will be done.
But while the results already secured
with alfalfa promise 50 much. the ex-
perimental work with alfalfa has
scarcely begun. The work for the next
four or five years ought TO be of even
Greater beneft than the work of the
past has been. We are becoming
squared to our work and we are be-
Ginning to see the nature Of some of the
alfalfa problems that lie before us for
solution. In many things regarding this
remarkable plant, the farmers of North
Dakota may draw upon the experiences
of the farmers of other states but in other
respects the problems of the two Dakotas
are unique and must be given a solution
of their own.
GRIMM ALFALFA Is HARDY
This station is thoroughly convinced
at the present time Of the practicability
Of growing alfalfa over comparatively
large areas of North Dakota. A few
general principles must be followed and
success will generally result. The most
important thing that we have learned
at Dickinson is the kind of alfalfa that
may be depended upon. Alfalfa is a
long lived perennial and is more or less
hardy. If we were unable to find a
hardy alfalfa for this state. then We
might as well cease to talk about the
plant for it would be idle to expect thai
farmers would continue to have an in.
terest in a crop that was continually
suffering from severe winter killing.
The Grimm alfalfa is so hardy that We
may rest assured that it may be sue.
cessfully grown in North Dakota. Il
hardness is assured. then about thu
only other point that need cause concern
is the ability of alfalfa to make payin,
crops with the normal rainfall ii
North Dakota. 1t may be said regard.
ing this point that any accurate know.
ledge is almost entirely lacking. W.
do know, however, that alfalfa is 6
drought resistant plant and we know
also that farmers are growing crops
successfully in North Dakota that are
not more drought resistant than alfalfa.
The supposition is then that the lack Of
water in this state is not going to be
the prohibiting factor.
VALUE OF ALFALFA FOR N. D.
Having expressed ourselves as strongly
as possible in the belief that alfalfa will
be a coming crop for North Dakota il
may be we'll to dwell a moment upor
the value of this crop for the state.
The Secretary Of Agriculture in his
report for 1907 states. Further extern.
sion of alfalfa growing on large areas,
**'" is a prize that will be worth
hundreds of millions of dollars yearly
and it will be won." In 1891. Kansas
was growing only "a, 900 acres of alfalfa.
Today she has under cultivation 1, 900,
600 acres of this wonderful plant and
she has only fairly started in the cult.
walton of alfalfa. Never again will
Kansas be spoken of as bleeding
Kansas" Droughts, and storms OF
hail and of locusts may occur but heI
alfalfa crop is an abiding source Of
wealth. more valuable than government
bonds. The alfalfa crop of Kansas is
certainly worth to that state $40, OOO, OOC
annually " and above any other crol
that would be normally grown in it's
stead. If then. alfalfa is of such great
Importance to Kansas, why may it moi
become of equal comparative import
ance in this state? 1t certainly may
and it will. But time will be required.
At the present time, perhaps there are
not more than 500 acres of alfalfa under
successful cultivation in North Dakota.
Under normal conditions of farming,
and it is only the truth to state that the
present conditions of farming are alb.
normal. North Dakota should be CROWNS
I. 1000, 900 acres of alfalfa. This woulG
mean h1t IN acroc If alfalfa RI oocI