The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-06-20
Country is in Need
OF Alfalfa Seed

The recent wide extension of tho
culture of alfalfa in the United
States SAYS E. T. Galloway. chief OF
the bureau of agriculture. in issuing
Farmers Bulletin Nc. 4a5. has result
ed in an increasing demand for seed
which has nut been entirely supplied
by the seed raising districts of this
country II has necessitated the i'm.
portation of about 5000. 900 pounds OF
seed annually. Investigations indicate
that with z. proper understanding OF
the essentials for the production OF
seed crops the entire demand can be
supplied with home grown seed.
MANY uncertainties" the bulletin
declares. however. have often deter
red growers from letting their fields
stand for seed. The principal alfalfa
whore a relative shortage of water
exists during the time that the seed
crop is maturing and where the tenn
peratures al this time are compare
tivelv high. Profitable seed crops are
produced in the subhumid and semiarid
sections of the Great Plains area with
II Irrigation and in the semiarid and
arid districts farther west either With
sutirrigation or partial surface irriga-
ton. Seed production in rows is Civ
ing promise of success. 1t is of the ut
most importance in all sections that
the stand should he thin. The extreme
~ large Yields OF alfalfa seed pro-
duced under specially favorable con-
ditions not generally understood or
even recognized indicate the possibili-
ties in connection with seed produc-
ton when the conditions favoring
maximum seed crops are FULLY real
lied.
Industry Has Importance.
'Jha mDortance of t,e aIfa1 fa ceo,3
industry in the United States is indi-
Gated by h advance reports of the
official census showing that approx
mately la.S2a,6S0 pounds of seed were
harvested in 1909. The area devoted to
alfalfa the same q was approXi-
mately ~4,63s.s62 acres.
The greater portion Of the alfalfa
once in about seven wears. although
in some sections fields are often al
lowed TO stand for a much longer pc
Rod. In some sections the use of alf-
alta in short rotations with other farm
crops makes frequent reseeding neees-
sarH. In the potato and cantaloupe
growing sections of eastern Colorado
1T is a frequent practice to hold alfalfa
for only two wears and then to turn II
Under as q green manure crop. The
land is then used for succeeding crol,s
of cantaloupes or potatoes. which are
in turn followed by alfalfa with a
grain nurse crop. In the east. where
somewhat ~unfavorabie conditions
cause alfalfa stands to deteriorate
rapidly. r~eseedtlg every few years is
necessary. Here the crop is used for
forage and little or no seed is pro-
duced. Large quantities Of seed are
required for this reseeding, as we'll as
for the seeding of fields not previously
in alfalfa. There has also been a
large increase in the acreage in the
west, especially on the irrigation pro-
jects which r being developed. II
is this seen that In the aggregate a
large quantity of seed is annually used.
The greater part OF this seed is grown
in the United States. but about $780,
900 pounds are annually imported. Tho
imported seed is an important factor
in determining the price of seed in
this country.
Why Hay is Preferred.
III is seldom that any section grows
alfalfa exclusively for the production
seed. although there are many Sec
tons in which 1t is utilized for hay
only. Where a strong demand exists
for alfalfa hay at good prices there is
the temptation to cut the crop
for hay. as much less risk is then in.
and a very profitable return is