The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-06-20

ordinarily secured. The time required
To develop = seed crop is at least twice
that necessary for a crop of hay. Con-
sequently w crops of hay must be
sacrificed to produce one crop Of seed
and straw. The production Of hay
makes more profitable the utilization
of the large outlying sections of sum-
mer grazing land. from which cattle
and sheep can he driven to the alfalfa
stacks for winter feeding; but when
for any reason it is difficult to dispose
of the alfalfa hay. it then becomes
advisable to give attention to seed
production. if it is at all feasible.
In some of the more recently set
tied sections of the west more alfalfa
nay has been produced than could be
p~rofitablH utilized. owing to the short
age of stock to which, it could be fed:
neither could it be probably shipped
out. owing to the long railway freigh,
hauls. In other sections so far re-
moved from the railroads that Ion.
hauls by teams are necessary the pro-
auction OF alfalfa has been rendered
muoh less profitable than it is i'm many
other sections.
Has Special Advantages.
In such sections as those just men,
toned the production of alfalfa seed
offers special advantages. because the
seed usually commands a good price
ana can be transported at a relatively
small expense. At IL 1-o cents a pound
a. ton of alfalfa seed is worth $3.50
as compared With about $40 for a ton
of hay. 1t is obvious that the product
OF an acre of alfalfa utilized for seed
is much more easily transported than
the product Of an acre cut for hay.
furthermore if the hay is sold
from the farm a great deal Of ferti-
lizlng material is removed Inc lost to
the farm. When a seed crop is pro-
dueed only a small mount Of fertile.
ing material need be removed from the
farm. since the straw or manure pro-
ouced from 1t a be again returned
to the land and plowed under.
the ordinary WELD Of an alfalfa
held allowed to stand for seed ranges
from two to Ave bushels per acre.
Many Yields run as low as one bushel
per acre and even less, but Yields If
much less han one bushel are not usu-
ally considered worth thrashing or
hulling. On the other hand. authentic
records show rare instances when
eighteen to twenty bushels of clean
seed nave been obtained from an acre
of ground. Such Yields. however. are
due to a very fortunate combination
OF circumstances, which seldom recur
IN a particular community. In one
rather large seed producing locality
the average for the entire section wal
over ten bushels per acre the first wear
That seed was allowed to set on large
areas.
Seed Cropping Not Exhaustive.
IT is often considered much harder
on the vitality of the alfalfa plant tn
produce a crop of seed than to produce
q crop OF hay. and for this reason some
farmers hesitate to let a crop stand
lor SEED every year. even when condi-
tons are favorable for seed produc.
ton. The data at hand. however. show.
cuttings Of seed in as many years and
which are Welding just as s~atisfac.
tory crops Of hay as other nearby
stands which have produced but one
or two crops OF seed during the "a mo
period. ~
Individual plants as we'll as entire
plants left standing for seed in expert.
mentai tracts have been observed to
snow a more vigorous growth the
succeeding season than those cut
throughout the season for hay. II
would appear from the somewhat
meager data that the one seed crop
rs ever less Injurious to the plants
tnan the two cuttings Of hay which
would otherWise be removed during
the am period Of time. It is quite
That the injurious effects
oSoH oDS0IVeQ TO follow
heavy seed crops are not due primar.
lily to the effect Of the seed crop. hut
rather to drought or other conditions
adverse to the vegetable growth Of
the plants n which induced the
heavy production Of seed.
Vitality is Long Retained.
Alfalfa seed retains its vitality for
a comparatively long time. Seed two
or three years old is practically as
good for planting as fresh seed. This
makes 1t possible to carry the seed
over a year or more in case it should
become necessary. Tho seed upon
which h tests were made was OBJ
tanned from various sources and no
doubt varied somewhat in the QUALITY
of the original samples. This fact, to.
sether with the comparatively small
number Of tests made. tends to explain
the lack Of a uniform deterioration Of
vitality as age increases.
In addition to the statements al.
ready made concerning the greater
ease Of marketing alfalfs seed than
az marketing hay. owing to its much
less bulk for a given value. other i'm.
portant commercial aspects deserve