The Filer record. (Filer, Idaho) 1919-1930, 1921-11-10
FOR
POOR YIELDS OF
ALFALFA SEED
By EARL wooLRIpGE
Dept, Of Agriculture Rural High
.ghaat


school
few weeks ago. had letter
lfem the State Seed Anaiyslst print.
ed ia The Record ia regard 10 tho
clover and alfalfa seed chalcia fly.
They reported that only one nv had
heen found Ia this vicinity this year.
several samples OF alfalfa seed have
been brought 10 the school house for
examination because a good many
farmers have been having trouble in
getting d Yield 81 seed. Since then
the agriculture department has *
amlned good many samples Of seed
and made "a good many inquiries alb.
out the NY aud Il has been foand
that tho ny does exist IN and around
Filler A good deal 81 clover alons
The roadside eaS, 81 town Is Infested
and samples Of alfalfa seed from the
south and west OF town are Infested
90 small extent
The Injury caused by the chalela
~ consists entirely 81 the hollowing
out ~ the developing seed ny the
time alfalfa seed pods aud the clover
heads have matured the destructive
work al this minute larya has bacn
completed within the Tested seed
and The result Is hollow seed con-
tanning the inseo, Ia one OF IT, stages
or simply the seed shell from which
the adult insect has emerged
However. since none OF the seed
shows any great number 81 flee. il IS
Thought that the poor stand this year
II due 70 other esusea. good many
farmers report that the seed fails ~
develop. that most OF the seeds are
brown and shrlsoled. or that lhe
blossoms simply dropped Off II
true. u could not be the ny. beeauss
the chalcis ny works on developing
seeds, and do not hinder the seeds IA
their development The production
of alfalfa seed Is peculiar problem
and there Is no one who knows all
the details
There are certain factors more or
less beyond the control Of the rro1er
which make for Or against sunee~s H.
the production OF seed. II h. alwaya
noticed that seed along roaasldes n
heavily sci and healthy aud reminds
one that the nearer he can reprodusp
natures methods the more he Is apt
70 secure results
IN alfalfa seed plant requires
warm. dry. sunshlny weather 20 pro-
duce and mature profitable crop
81 seed The number OF clear. sun
shiny days actually recorded during
the summer months and the large
Yields 81 seed secured nearly every
year IN southern Idaho seem 10 prove
the existence ~ close relationship
between sunshine aud seed-setflng
Moisture = without doubt another
very important factor concerned win
the production Of alfalfa seed. Aiois-
tufc can make or destroy crop 81
seed Too much moisture in the
soii during the crossing period pro-
auees strongly xeretaflye growth
that u unfaYorsble 10 the production
Of seed Too much moisture ia the
poil - blooming time Induces plant
growth a. the expense % seed Crop
Ia rainy Or damp aud cloudy ~eu
thor the flowers will NOT trip snffi-
clenily to make profitable eepa
crop Insufficient moisture previous
"a the blooming period results Ia ghs
dropping u nosere and she failmr.
IL the seed crop. Wind aids tripping
n flowers to some extent and. there
Tore. helps 90 ierease the amount ~
seed produced
u may be that next year the ehal.
- ny will DO considerable damage.
,nf there are not enough present III
tsed samples examined 10 warrant
anyone Ia believing that Il has done
much harm this yesr The successful
production % seed runs during cef-
ain years and any one OF the abose
auses or their combination may br
he cause Of poor production durlnE
he other years.
d rock roadway south from the John
kaeser corner. II Is hoped 70 be al