The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1921-07-01
ALFALFA DISEAS-
ES and ENEMIES

by d. lIdicy, T~aSIlCuiIuId LheeI
sion Department International Han
vester Company.
With Grimm alfalfa selling at 5
to rs cents a pound, and common al
falfa selling at rs to 80 cents a pounC
there is a great inducement for every
body to try to grow seed. 1t is a won
der to those who have watched tn
rapid increase of alfalfa that tn
price of seed has held up to where i
is. However, when one begins t
grow the seed, and encounters TIL
many difficulties and failures that oc
cur, it is not such wonder that tn,
seed price has been maintained 81
high. The large yields of seed thai
are frequently reported are evidently
not so numerous as the many failures
which we never hear about.
For some reason alfalfa is rather
uncertain as to seeding. This is par.
ticularly true in sections of rather
heavy rainfall, such as the Red River
Valley, and all sections south and east
Seed Production Limited to the
~ Drier Regions
Apparently the production of alfal-
ia seed is limited to regions of rather
light rainfall, or where irrigation is
possible. While there has been q
great deal of time devoted to the
study of alfalfa seed production, there
seems yet to be much that is not I'M
derstood about this subject. That is,
it is not understood just why the al
falfa does not seed regularly.
For the past six years we have at
tempted to grow a small amount of
seed on the l. H. c. farm at Grand
Forks, but the amount grown has not
nearly paid for the trouble and loss
of hay. From our experience it would
be more profitable to buy seed and
make the alfalfa into hay and it is
probable that this will be true to a
great extent in all regions with twen-
ayy inches or more of rainfall per an
mum;
In the central and western parts OF
North and South Dakota. Kansas and
Nebraska, Wyoming, Montana and
western Canada, the production Of
seed is apparently more certain. 1t
seems also to be true that the best
method for producing seed is to plant
the alfalfa very thin. or in rows. so
as to give some inter-cultivation. This
cultivation keeps down the growth of
weeds and retains moisture, so that
the seed crop is more certain. AS a
general thing the alfalfa is cut once
for hay, although if the season is
rather late it is probable that the al
falfa should be cut rather early, or
the seed crop will be so late in ma
turing that it will be caught by frost.
In some places the alfalfa is not cut
Of oil bt1t tho fret crpn allowed tn
go to seed.
Our method in attempting the grow
ing of seed has been to cut the first
crop for hay about the Goth of June.
We then give the alfalfa a good cult
walton with a spring tooth harrow, to
destroy any weeds that have started,
and then not cut again until apparent
ly the largest part of the seed is ripe.
Watch the Alfalfa Bloom
1t can be readily told within a short
time after the alfalfa has bloomed
whether or not there will be a seed
crop of any consequence. The alfalfa
seed is borne in small pods which curl
up like a sleeps horn. Within a short
time after the bloom appears, if it is
noticed that the blooms are all fall.
ing off, there will be very little seed
produced.
The alfalfa flower is of very pc
culiar construction. The stigma, or
part which forms the pod, is enclosed
within part of the flower. If the
weather conditions are favorable, or
the flower is not visited by insects,
this part does not open so that the
fertilization of the flower can take
place. If for any reason this opening
is delayed too long the flower drops
off and consequently no seed forms.
1t has been shown that bees are
very essential to successful seed pro-
duction, and it is probable that this
should be given very close considera-
ton. Prof. Waldron, at Dickinson.
N. D., found that plants protected by
screens, so that no insects visited
them, produced absolutely no seed
while other plants which had some
honey bees or humble bees enclosed
in the wire cages with them, produced
seed heavily. 1t is probable, how.
ever that bees are not the sole fac
tor in alfalfa seed production, because
it seems that climatic conditions have
an effect which not overcome entire,
ly by the presence of bees or othel
insects. If it is seer that all of tn,
blooms are falling off, the alfalf;
should be cut for hay. 1t will also b,
noticed that if seed does not set, tn,
t~illers, or new crop will start rapid,
and the alfalfa should be cut higher.
Harvesting Alfalfa Seed Crop.
AS previously stated, the seed GRO
should be harvested at a time whel
apparently the largest number of pod
are ripe. 1t is very seldom that tn
seed will all ripen at one time; tina
is, at times there will be found bloom
and ripe seed on the same plant, al
though under favorable weather condi
tions for seed production this shout
not be true.
1t is also essential that this crop b
cut as early as possible, or the growt
that occurs after the cutting will b
so small that it will not protect tn
alfalfa sufficiently during the succeed
ing winter. We had some large trans
planted Grimm alfalfa plants whic
winter killed, apparently because tn
seed crop vas cut so late that .thel
was no growth afterwards for winte
protection.
The alfalfa seed crop may be C,
with almost any machine, such as
mower, reaper or binder. The Sc
rake OF reaper is a very satisfactor
e. 49,