Arizona republican., 1911-09-19
ALFALFA
 SEEDING Ideas of Principles GOV-
 erning It
 - KIND USED IN COLORADO John l.. Wilson Talks En- tertainingly of Things of Interest to Farmers, In cluding Onions and Pota- toes at 75c the Potato.
KIND USED IN COLORADO

Alfalfa seed originally came from Turkestan. so far as the seed trade in this country knows commercially" said John l.. Wilson, travelling repre- sentative of the Barteldes Seed Co, who visits the Salt River Valley about twice a year, at the stag Sunday afternoon: and the best seed in that line comes from there yet, through German dealers in Hamburg and Der lin. and is largely distributed by us in the west.
 There Is one peculiar thing about seed of all kinds: It seems impos- sible for any community to supply itself with seed of it's own production to as good advantage as it can from some other section of the country or world. Perhaps there may be some thing about plant life or production that is akin to inbreeding in animals. At least the fact that I have already stated is generally recognized in Colo rado. where. 1 think I can say that. un der the lead of the Colorado agricul- tural college. We do about as fine work in raising various kinds of field
 
 Greeley, Longmont, Ft Collins, Love land. Berthoud, and all that part of Colorado north of the tributary to Denver you cannot get the alfalfa rais- CT to use anything but Turkestan seed. I presume We sold a hunded thousand pounds of it there last year.
 Tt may interest you to know that my firm bought seven carloads of al falfa seed from this valley last year, and I came down here to buy alfalfa seed this year; but instead of doing that, I have sold seed here. Of course you know that your seed was poor this year, as well as lacking in quality, which. of course, is to be regretted in other sections than this. It is to our interest and that of producers to have plenty of good seed raised in various localities that the excellence may be kept uu by trading.
 Much of the fOulness of the grain in your fields is due to the dodder that comes down with irrigation water. That is one difficulty that perhaps you will always have to figure against and try to overcome. That is one reason, though not the only one. why dry farming products are better than Oth- CTS Of course there are various ways in which you can contend against dOd der
 "Of course perhaps 1t is natural for me to speak of this on account of trade relations, but I would suggest that your people will find, as those of Colo rado have, that one thing necessary to secure a commanding position in the markets Is pure seed. frequently re- newed. If it costs more. it pays more. And your gain in the end is the great CT. Now, in onions, for instance, have no doubt you can get Bermuda onion seed; they raise it in California; but it is nothing in comparison to the true island seed; and l doubt if it will pay you to buy it. You are also likely to find yourself at a loss for genuinely good Crystal White Wax onion seed. There are interruptions men in the seed business as in others. I have made some recommendations to the members of the Producers associa- tion organized Saturday, which they may take up for discussion and act upon. I cannot tell. But they may be sure, and I think they are, that the best seed is of the first importance. It pays On Rocky Ford melon seed. last year. you did not get the best. I have no doubt it was seed from Rocky Ford melons. but from cull melons. which were either too large or too green or otherwise imperfect You did not get the best You understand the only Rocky Ford melon that ia reck- oned perfect is the melon that will pack forty-five into a crate of cer- tain size. They are the only ones that bring the gilt-edged price. 1t is the same way with all other seeds. Get the best: it pays.
 Tn potatoes, you are much in need of new and good seed. You have a great deal of disease in that line here. The best varieties up In our section are the Mammoth Pearls and Early Ohios. both dry raised. The former is indigenous to Colorado. It was in vented" by a Mir. Grubb, who Is such man as Luther Burbank-that is. they are both OriginatOrs of plant life. They are raised in a peculiar red soil, and characteristics, at least of color, out of it. They are of a dark. rich red, or mahogany color. I sent a small bag of them to q friend of mine one year, and he planted them in rather light sandy roil. and sent me a return bag of those he raised. You would never have recognized them from the color