The Kadoka press and Kadoka reporter. [volume] (Kadoka, S.D.) 1910-1923, 1911-04-21
HARDY ALFALFAS
FOR EACH COUNTY
tBy Prof. N. e. Hansen, State Col
lege, Brookings, 8. d.

tBy Prof. N. E. Hansen, State COL
lege, Brookings, 8. d.
It is of interest to note that the
South Dakota legislature, just ad-
journed, made provision for a limited
trial of the new hardy alfalfas in every
county of the state, by appropriating
two thousand dollars for the next BIZ
ennial period. which makes an aver
age of about twenty dollars per coun-
ty each year. We have no seed to
send out this year, but one-year plants.
The plan now is to send ten plants to
each of the first ten applicants In
each county, the plants to be set in
good garden soil far enough apart
each way to permit of thorough cul-
tivation and to encourage the free
production of seed.
This money will not be available un-
til July 1st aud plants will not be
ready in any quantity until next year.
However. few thousand plants can
be spared this spring. The names
of the other applicants viii be placed
on the waiting list for next year. All
applicants must agree to follow in
structions as to planting and care OF
plants and to report results of trials
when requested. Applicants should
describe the soil and location ard
state whether they wish plants for
hay or pasture.
Last year / sent out some alfalfa
for the first time. In spite of the dry
season some reports from various
places in both North and South Da-
kota show yield averaging one-half
ounce of seed per plant. 80 / am bope-
ful that some of these plants Will turn
ont to be good seeders. They have
seeded ut Brookings very freely the
past three seasons. The seed germi-
mates here very promptly when sown.
The plan is to test the most promis-
ing alfalfas. which are not now handl-
ed by seedsmen, in all sorts of soils,
especially the new South Russian and
Siberian alfalfas which brought over
as Agricultural Explorer for the Unit
ed States Department of Agriculture
in the course of my three trips to
Siberia. IL is desired to test these
plants in a limited way under all sorts
of conditions, for example:
1. On ordinary good grain land both
for pasture and hay.
2. On rolling. dry, stony upland or
"sheep quarters.
8. On alkali lands.
4. On gumbo soils.
5. On fields subject to overflow and
formation of ice crusts, which condi-
tions are found harmful to the old or
common alfalfa.
8. On steep mountain slopes and ur-
land pastures in forest reserves and
elsewhere in the Black Hills.
z. On extremely sandy soils where
trouble is experienced from the wind
blowing out the top crust.
These problems occur to me as l
write. but there are, no doubt, others
TO be considered. There are many
problems connected with alfalfa grow
ing and it would be of great advant-
age to South Dakota to secure an alb
solutely hardy foundation for our al
falta industry both for hay crop on
good farm land, and also to make al
falfa common as wild posture plant
on all the rough lands now practical
ly worthless for cultivation. Even
rough land would be worth one hun
dred dollars per acre II it could grow
alfalfa.
The past season we raised alfalfa
plants by sowing seed in rows with
garden drill and cultivasing with q
weel hoe, much the same as for ear
rots and beets. The plants made q
strong growth and were dug up late
in the fall and are now heeled in out
doors with manure over the earth.
They will be desirable for transplant.
ing three to four feet apart each way
in good garden soil and should be
given thorough cultivation. This wll
encourage the free production of seed,
Transplanting alfalfa plants is nothing
new as it has long been practiced in
parts of India and South America.
II will interest our German farmer
that in Siberia met some German
colouists who called this wild alfalfa
"Siberische Steinklee, - and esteemed
it highly for pastare and hay. "Stein
kleen meaning stone clover, refer
prob ably to the stony places wher
it will grow. but "lucerne'' or ''alfal
.s'a Is really the word to use insteas
OF 'klee."
As tested here at Brookings tn
most promising of these alfalfas viii
fall Into two classes: First-that whicl
sheds seed freely soon after ripeninR
/ think this tendency will soon b
bred out by selection. as in Siberia
n r..n - nf ~