Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-09-19


mon alfalfa to produce hardy. and
drought.resistant hybrid strains. Al
present the new alfalfas do not ap.
pear to be sufficiently productive To
make them generally profitable un.
der cultivation. Many OF the forms
are unquestiODably very hardy and
drought-resistant and have already
shown their value as stock for cross
ing with varieties commonly known.
One OF the hardest. II not the
hardest OF our commercial strains.
the, Grimm alfalfa, probably original.
ed through natural ehybridizatiOn OF
medicago ialcata and common al
falfa. Grimm alfalfa is coming into
very. wide use in the Northwestern
states. The new alfalfas have not
yet been tested on the open range az
fully as under cultivation. Although
the results to date indicate their in.
ability to maintain themselves except
under very favorable conditions, the
tests are, nevertheless, being con.
tinued with the hope Of ultimate sue
cess in improving the range.
The experts OF the department DO
not believe that this yellow lowered
alfalfa in its unsolicited state is a
crop for the farmer to test, even
though aeed were available. .ey1s
Three main considerations show
that It is not likely to prove valuable
under cultivation: % Most OF its
forms are not sufficiently erect to
be easily harvested for hay; t2l it
does not recover quickly after cut
ting and can not be expected to give
more than one cutting during the sea.
son; t3t its seed habits are usually
poor, the seed being scantily produc;
ed and SCATTERING bsdly at maturity.
The department is pushing the
work of selection by hybridlzation Of
the best forms of this species as rap
idly as possible, in the hope that
valuable drought.res:stan and cold
resistant strains may ultimately be
established. ~
Among the latest innovations in
army matters is a field telephone for
infantry regiments that is being de-
veloped by First Lieut.. G.. Tayler. of
the 8th infantry, who is making. his
experiments in the Signal Corps
laboratory at Washington. 1t Is to
be equipped with small receivers, not
weighing over FIVE pounds, and about
two miles of insulated wire, which
can be run along the ground from a
hand reel. EM .,. ,.h
This field telephone can be used in
communicating between regiments in
intrenchments, and in fact any time
when organizatios have taken a semi
permanent station before the enemy.
Field telephones were used in the
recent Russo-Japanese war with con.
siderable uccess With some i'm
provements, it is predicted they will
become an important part of infan-
try. equipment. These telephones will
take Nm, the line of communication
where It is left Oh by the regular
equipment of the u. S. Signal corps.
u 81 n s-- s
( Despite the jingo talk that Great
Britain is so ~incensed over congress-
declaring that American coastwise
vessels shall use the Panama canal
toll free, that her people have de.
clared they won't participate in the
worlds fair at San Francisco, to cele-
brate the opening of that stupendous
engineering enterprise. it turns out
that the only condition imposed by
the British ministry on her accep-
lance OF the invitation to exhibit at,
the big exposition, was the desire,
to secure adequate undertakings from
the managing director and his col
leagues as to the suffciency OF the
space and the character of accommo-
'dations to be set apart for the Brit
ish exhibit. .
The only foundation that is known
to exist for the idea that the British
government has permitted the nego-
tiations regarding the Panama canal
tolls to influence its attitude towards
the exposition is said to be express
sions OF editorial opinion OF the jack
assical order in some OF the British
newspapers. 1t should not be for
gotten that they have asinine editors
on the other side of the herring
pond" al, well as in Gods country.
Another thing. it is pointed out tina.
informally, the British cabinet Off.
GERS gave the special American com.
mission. which visited London last
June, assurances OF the heartiest sup
port. ,s--a
& ssat- ST. III Eytsgk#e - f~t- E..aTsN4
I DR.. &C. Young OF Texas, who has
been on an adventurous tour through
the Asian deserts after the celebated
,Karicul Sheep, the pelts of which are
of high value. has just returned after
a successful trip. He intends, how
ever, to return TO- Asia to complete his
work and has come here in search Of
quarantine Information about bringing
in some Of that rare and profitable
breeding species of sheep, an import.
alton Of which viii, give .enterprising
Texas another boost in the prosperity
which is giving that Commonwealth
an enyiable record throughout the
Union. There are lots. Of obstacles in
the way OF this bright young Texan
scientist; but he has lots of git.up-and
!git-again, which will enable him to
overcome even more than ordinary
difficulties.
i DR.. Young Is an. active member of
the American Breeders Association
and an expert on Persian lamb wool.