The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1914-11-20
BREEDING OF ALFALFA
Interesting Experiments Made at
South Dakota Station.
Tests Not only Important IN D's'
eovery Of Varieties Adapted TO
Arid Conditions, But TO
Cultivation.

Cooperative tests by d%rought.re'
sisting alfalfa from siberia have been
made by hundreds OF farmers IN
South Dakota under the direction OF
n. Il. Hansen. horticultural OF the
experiment station at Brookings, >. ~
The experiments have been impor'
tant not only In the discovery OF va
rieties adapted to arid conditions. but
also In working out better methods
Of cultivation. The results are given
In station Bulletin l4l. and seem TO
indicate transplanting OF one year
roots, instead Of seeding. IN getting
a stand on dry land Readers de-
string a complete report should OBJ
tain n copy OF the bulletin.
My experience. says the author or
the bulletin. is that by raising alfalfa
plants In we'll %inoculated soil. every
plant II abundantly provided In the
course Of the first seaso with nod
ulcs containing the n~itrogen-gather'
Ing bacteria so essential 20 the
growth " the plant. This reason
hi'NIf NNNlN w n WY NNAbAR RNN ''
favor OF this new method, since there
Is much complaint due to lack Of In
oculation I'm many soils, and the farm.
or can see the nitrogen-gathering bac-
terra nodules with his own eyes.
My belief is that the present meth
DDS OF disking are extremely injuri.
Gus; that we should not mutilate al
falfa plants by disking and narrowing
This is I'm distinct contradiction to the
present recommended practice, but ex.
animation OF many plants that have
been split through the heart with the
disk or harrow shows they heal with
difficulty. and many are blackhearted
or diseased, giving free access TO bac.
terra, An alfalfa plant should be good
for nj least four centuries. but this
means that the heart OF the plant
must be held sacred. 4 field set out
IN plants can be cultivated one way
Ike fodder corr and then laid by for
the season. BY giving each plant
Just the right amount OF space In the
beginning, this useless mutilating OF
the plant Is avoided. At Ipswich I
found % plants 10 the square foot;
at Huron. in a garden. ! found 10
plants on two and one-half square
inches-all Of them being as big as a
d~arning needle.
Alfalfa plants in this springs dem.
onstrations were set two feet apart
In the rows. with rows three feet
eight Inches apart so that the com.
mon corn c%ultlyator can be used. MY
opinion is that they should be given
cultivation n way just like fodder
corn but perhaps check row machines
viii be devised to make feasible cross
cultivation in early spring and after
each cutting.
Alfalfa Is a very poor fighter the
first years as the main strength goes
below the ground. hence II Is often
choked out by weeds. which make
more top than root. But by setting
out a good sized alfalfa plant. often
as big as your middle finger. they
can hold their own better against the
weeds.
The plants should be raised the first
year In good garden soil that Is well
inoculated. They may be TRANSPLANT.
ed In the autumn OF the FIRST wear but
the bulk Of them should be kent in
outdoor cellars, such rs used for I
ing potatoes or trees, or they NAV be
heeled In close together In furrows
made with a pillow. In 1910 nj this
station on a piece OF good garden soil
60xlG5 feet. 10000 Orenburg plants
were raised, which Is about two nun.
dred and twenty thousand plants per
acre. Probably much more could be
done II no cut worms. etc, appear
These were raised IN drills, much like
carrots and bcets. For the purposc
OF raising the most seed, perhaps
single plants In hills 2xl feet may
be better than sown close together In
rows. Al this rate, n set 2xi feet. or
'ii' plants per acre. one acre would
raise enough plants 20 set 40 acres
or course the best method for the
maximum seed production viii deycl.
op with further experience. After
seed OF these new varieties becomes
abundant, every farmer can follow his
own method for raising seed.
Fila A. ALL