The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-06-09
POSSIBILITIES FROM ALFALFA
GROWING TN THE NORTHWEST


Washington, June s.--Alfalfa is one
of the greatest wealth producers in the
world and because most Of the north
western farmers especially those in
the Dakotas and Minnesota have failed
to recognize its economic value has
caused government experts to signal
out its peculiar advantages to this par
ticular section of the country For this
purpose long series of investigations
!, were made by the department of agri-
culture under the direction of Charles
J. Brand, psychologist, with the result
that Grimm alfalfa, a specie introduced
in northern Minnesota by an old Ger
man farmer Of that name, has been
universally heralded as the kind of all
falfa that will withstand the peculiar
climatic conditions of that section and
yield large returns upon the invest
ment. Some of the Investigations were
conducted at Dickinson and Fargo. This
hearing for this particular crop in
North Dakota.
Crop experts declare that the alfalfa
crop Of the country today is worth
s150,000,00O. After deducting the cost
of labor, the depreciation in machinery
and all other legitimate expenses
chargeable to cost of production what
remains Of this annual value would pay
more than per cent on an investment
of $1,000, O0O, 900.
The average yield in the United
States it is said, is over two and one
half tons per acre. This is regarded as
twice as great as the average for all
other kinds of hay. This statement is
also calculated to cause northwestern
farmers to lend "a willing ear to the
alfalfa business. At the present time
the western and southwestern states
have virtual monopoly of the crop
This condition, however, Is explained
at the department by a lack of seed
of variety that can be depended upon
to endure the trying weather Of the
fall winter and spring months.
With an area of little more than So
600 square miles where the So called
ordinary alfalfa proved so readily
adaptable, Kansas alone has in round
numbers over 1000, 900 acres in alfalfa.
Minnesota with an area larger than
Kansas probably has less than 5000
acres all told. North and South Da-
kota with a combined area of almost
twice that of Kansas have probably
10000 or $4,000 acres between themS
The establishment of a successful
alfalfa industry in the north and north
west. such as exists in Kansas, says
Mr.. Brand, will mean the addition of
millions of dollars to the annual value
of farm products of these regions In
the northwest especially with the pass
ing of wheat growing, there is great
need of alfalfa as basis of beef and
pork production and for dairying pur-
poses. If Kansas with an area of APP
proximately $4,000 square miles pro-
duces an alfalfa crop having a farm
value of about $6,O0O,0O0 annually,
what may we not expect in an almost
virgin area of 100000 square miles.
The solution Of the question is the
planting of Grimm alfalfa according
to department experts. This strain is
regarded as very much harder than
the ordinary kind obtained from Kan
sas, Utah and elsewhere and there is
even strong reason to believe that IL
is the hardest known form of culti-
waited plant. Itanot only endures ex-
tremely low temperatures with or
without snow and other untoward con-
ditions, but it can be cut with safety
later in the fall and will bear more
abuse in the way of pasturage than
any other kind thus far grown in COM
parison with it.
Continuing, Mr.. Brand in his report
on Grimm alfalfa, says:
There are cases on record where
Grimm alfalfa has borne temperatures
as low as 3S degrees F. with practically
no snow covering without serious loss
of stand. There is small field con-
tanning possibly half an acre in Carver
county, Minnesota, today more than
forty years old.
There Is some disag reement among
Investigators as to how Grimm alfalfa
attained its great hardness, but there
is no difference of opinion as to the
fact that it is hardy. The evidence
submitted in the present paper indi-
Gates that Grimm alfalfa came by its
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