The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-06-03

grees r. were endured in the interim
between the spring of 1902, when the
seeding took place and the fall of 1904
when the seed was harvested. Autumn
moisture conditions were such that
selection toward resistance in this re-
spect also took place.
"A sample OF alfalfa seed purchased
under the name Of Grimm alfalfa was
sown In test plats during the summer
OF 1903. After the physiologicalIy mild
winter of 1909 and 1910, the great ma
1ority OF the plants in one of the tests
had been killed. In 1910 statistical
studies Of diversity in flower color an
this sample showed variegation OF
only AZ per cent. while the average for
two strains positively known To he
Grimm was 44.4 per cent. The high
percentages Of winter killing and the
comparative absence Of variegation
ieave no doubt that in this case the
sample was not Grimm alfalfa and thar
the grower who produced the seed VA
In error in pronouncinr il Grimm, ana
III selling It as such. Cases of this
hino should serve as warning to both
buyer and seller Of Grimm seed. This
airalra Is so distinct that the sale III
seed that is not true to name. whether
intentional or unintentional. win 81
soon detected.
Tne experiments at Tappen have
been carried on in co-opers.tion vvtth
". Fl. Niles. who Is SO FAR as tha de-
partment knows, the largest aIfaIea
grower in North Dakota. having con
siderably over 100 on his ranch which
ne cur three times during the season
ot 1903. In this experiment, which wa
seeded In May, 1905, the sixteen strains
were sown on half-acre plats
Perhaps the most COMPREHENSIVE ard
careful comparison of Grimm aIsalea
Win other kinds has been made at the
DlcAlnson branch Of the North Dakota
experiment station. The first plat
was soWn In 1905, and part Of il sim
remains. In 1905 duplicate plats wara
SEEDED IN comparison with twentv-on
other Kinds. In the spring Of 1908 Ave
strains Of Grimm having different HE
tories were sown in various evnart.
ments. Each strain gave q pood a.
count OF itself, especially IN tba hl1I
and drill-row experiments. whirb grr-
nish the severest possible test ~ hard
mess under the conditions present n
thls experiment sixty eight strains ~
eained from the most important alfalfa
sroWing regions OF the world vara
sven Identical treatment under con
ultions OF great uniformity.
The winter OF 1908 ana 1910 ,vss
normal as whole, with a mean ta,r,
perature of 1880 degrees . n,,rt-.sr
January there was one period Of two
weeks when the highest minimum re-
corded was 3 degrees r. and the low
esq "a degrees F. During ten DAYS Of
TINS time the maximum rose above zero
only once. The preceding autumn had
peen moist and the SNOWMAN was below
normal. II 80"
N the experiment as whole. twelve
OF the sixty eight strains winter lx,IIAI
100 per cent; sixteen from 9o nar cent
to 30 per cent; forty-two more thar
Sv per cent; fifty eight over so uer
cent; and only ten less than 80 Der
cent r.
Ia summary the bulletin. sneaLinr
Of the establishment or i succaaaf,,I
alfalfa industry In the NORM ana
northwest. says:
800 USt1pAASlAHenL or a successful
alfalfa industry In the north and nortl,
west. such as exists In kansas Ma
braska, and the states farther vast ana
southwest will mean literally tha Al
dition OF millions of dollars Ia the 81
nuai value Of the farm products IL
this region.
Alfalfa II one OF the greatest wealth
producers among the farm crops 81 the
United States. iii 4 little more than
fifty years the value Of its product has
increased from nothing to about $780,
100000 per year
AT present the enormous dement's &c
cruing from the growing Of alfalfa are
almost exclusively bv about
one-third Of the total area az tha
United States North of the forty
second parallel. between the Atlantic
and the Rockies III both the Initial
States and Canada, very little alfalfa
has been grown tn the past. In the
United States alone the area concernafs
amounts to about 100000 square miles
Almost the sole reason for the absence
of an alfalfa industry In this great
area mas been the lack or i variety
adapted to endure great cold and other
attendant adverse conditions.
IN Grimm alfalfa II ID believed that
the basis Of 4 successful alfalfa iii
austry III this area exists. Tnia STRAIN