VERMONT
Prof. J. L. Hill, Director Vermont experiment station, in Bulletin No. 114 says that popular interest in the question of alfalfa culture was never so great in Vermont as it is today. The result of 56 trials at as many Vermont points are summarized: as, permanent successes, 12; temporary successes, ten; success at outset, eight; seeming success, five; questionable, seven; failure, 14. Thirty-six per cent of the trials may fairly be said to have been a success, and 68 per cent of these were located in the Champlain valley. Only 10 of the 56 alfalfa growers appear to have sown more than an acre. It should be noted that success with a fraction of an acre does not of necessity imply that an equal degree of success would be attained with plantings on larger areas. The preeminence of the Champlain valley in alfalfa growing seems to be due to the character of the farming in that section and to the nature of its soil. Failures may generally be ascribed to one or more of several unfavorable soil or weather conditions, to weeds, to disease, or to seed which either is inferior or from an unsuitable source. There seems to be a sufficient proportion of successes in the state to justify the encouragement of further trials. It is equally clear, however, that anyone planting alfalfa for the first time should not only give careful heed to the needs of the plant and to the methods of culture outlined later, but should begin by experimenting in a small way. The most significant thing developed by the analysis of the returns to date is that the crop seems to succeed best in the Champlain valley. Why is this? Probably one factor, not apparent on the surface, is that the men who have succeeded in Addison county are largely sheep breeders who value the crop so highly in their special industry that they are willing to give more attention to its culture than are the dairy farmers. It should be recalled in this connection, however, that the evidence reviewed indicates practical success with alfalfa at Plattsburgh and in adjacent Canadian territory. Without pressing the matter to a definite conclusion, we consider two things to be at least strongly suggested and worthy to be borne in mind in connection with further experiments in alfalfa culture: (1) The chances of permanent success with it are probably better in Vermont than they are farther south and east in New England. This may be in part attributable to soil conditions and in part to climate, the latter being associated with greater remoteness from the seashore. (2) In Vermont the chance of success in its culture seem to be greater in the Champlain valley than elsewhere. The reasons suggested in the above may apply in explanation of this. The nature of the geological formations is also worthy of consideration. It seems not unlikely that the relative richness of the soil of this region in lime and potash and its other chemical and physical characters make it especially favorable to alfalfa growing.