The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1911-02-07
ALFALFA LEADING CROP.
Federal Authorities Pay Tribute to Min
neSOta Farmer.

neSOtd Farmer.
Minneapolis Journal:
That Minnesota eventually will be-
come great alfalfa state by being
able to grow a strain as hardy as the
Grimm variety, and that the time
will come when Wendelin Grimm
will be commonly known to have
brought to Minnesota as great if not
greater honor than did Peter Gideon,
the originator of the Wealthy apple,
is the opinion of Dean Albert F.
Woods of the college of agriculture.
When connected with the bureau Of
plant industry at Washington, be-
fore coming to Minnesota, Dean
Woods became convinced that the
Grimm strain possessed all the quail
tiles attributed to it, and has done
all in his power to give it recogni-
! ton.
| A. G. Army, st. Anthony Park,
the alfalfa expert who is preparing
a bulletin on alfalfa for the extern
sion division of the college of agri-
culture, endorsing the Grimm alfal-
ia as compared with other strains
and telling the farmers of Minnesota
how to grow it, believes that alfalfa
is to become eventually, one of the
states principle crops.
There are number of reasons, +"
said Mr.. Army, why Minnesota
farmers have not grown much alfal-
ia. In the first place, until the re-
cent experiments with the Grimm
strain. there have been no varieties
hardy enough to make its growing
profitable. Minnesota is a natural
clover state. Clover is so good a
4 feed and the growing of it has given
such good results that farmers have
hesitated to experiment with some
thing they knew little about; but we
have the variety that will grow in
| Minnesota, and we are going to push
it. A campaign for Grimm alfalfa
is to be begun this spring.
From one to three crops can be
cut each season, dependent upon the
favorabIeness of the season. We
have found in our experiments al
the station that an average Of -four
tons per acre can be obtained each
obtained each year. Tests have
proved that it is equal to bran II
feeding values. Its value is little
over one cent pourd.
Though its commercial value i.
much less, in feeding matter it will
approximate a return of $50 pei
acre. This makes it far more valu
able than clover
Grimm's work has been endorsed
by Professor w. M. HAYS, assistan
secretary of agriculture, Mr.. Hay
credits A. B. Lyman Of Excelsior
with having materially assisted il
development of the new alfalfa
Grimm brought a small quantity O
! the seed from his home in German,
:. fifty years ago" said Mr.. Hays
He planted his seed and grew sucl
a hardy crop that neighbors asket
for samples. Up to ten years ag,
it was a neighborhood crop in Car
yer county until it came to the no
tice of Mr.. Lyman, who made con
, tracts for seed for ten years.
"Other varieties Of alfalfa hav
been brought to this country, but il
: my opinion none is as hardy as tn
Grimm. The Minnesota station an,
: those Of other states haye expert
:. mented with the Grimm alfalfa an
cross bred it with other varieties
: and the prospects are that the sub
! varieties, will be produced that wi
: be even better for the cold country
: but the credit for bringing thi
. great forage plant to the Unite
: States belongs to Wendelin Grimm
4 the immigrant of fifty years ago.
Card of Thanks.