Dr. H. J. Wheeler, Director Rhode Island experiment station.—Alfalfa culture in Rhode Island is a very uncertain undertaking. A few persons have occasionally met with some success, but the majority of experiments have been failures because: (1) Most of the soil in this state is too deficient in carbonate of lime to enable alfalfa to succeed even if other conditions are favorable. (2) It is occasionally almost destroyed by clover leaf spot. (3) The general culture of alfalfa in this state cannot be made successful even if all of the conditions aside from the climate are made favorable. Farther north where the snow falls before the ground freezes and remains until the opening of spring, this plant can be grown successfully. Farther south where the changes are less severe, the same is true. In Colorado and other places where irrigation is practiced, if it is desired to get rid of a field of alfalfa, the ground is flooded after it is frozen and the freezing of water over the surface accomplishes what is desired. In Rhode Island it not infrequently happens that we have in winter a considerable fall of snow. A warm southeasterly rain may fall which transforms it very shortly to slush. In a few hours the temperature may drop to zero or below. Sometimes rain which falls freezes over the surface, forming a solid coating. These conditions in this state destroy the alfalfa just as the flooding does it in the West, and while alfalfa may be carried successfully through the winter, if the season is favorable, I believe the chances are too great to make it a promising crop. Last winter we carried some through successfully and have done so once or twice before, but my advice to Rhode Island farmers is to grow the clovers, soy beans, and possibly cowpeas rather than attempt to embark in growing alfalfa until it has been definitely shown by experiment that the climate and other conditions can be successfully combated.
SOUTH CAROLINA
Prof. C. L. Newman, Agriculturist South Carolina experiment station.—We have, to some extent, had remarkable success with alfalfa. On the old exposition grounds at Charleston, over six tons of cured hay were cut last year on one acre. This year one cutting afforded 4.15 pounds of cured hay. In the upper portion of the state, alfalfa is grown with considerably greater difficulty. At Anderson, the county seat of Anderson county, there is an alfalfa field that was sown 65 years ago and it still affords some return.
SOUTH DAKOTA
Prof. James W. Wilson, Director South Dakota experiment station.—Experience shows that a good stand of alfalfa can be secured, if ordinary care be exercised in preparing the seedbed. It is not a plant that does well when sowed on the native prairie sod after disking. On the college farm during the spring of 1904 a small area of native sod was disked five times; part was sowed to alfalfa and part to clover. The next spring only a few scattering plants of alfalfa could be found, while a fair stand of clover was secured. Good results have been obtained with both the Turkestan and the American varieties. Neither has winterkilled during the time, and the yield per acre in each case has been good. A field sowed to Turkestan alfalfa in 1899 at Highmore Forage testing station still produces good yields. The quantity of seed to sow per acre depends largely on the way it is sowed, requiring more if broadcast than when drilled. We suggest 20 pounds when drilled and 25 pounds when sown broadcast. The time to sow depends upon the condition of tilth. Contrary to what is sometimes supposed, alfalfa does not require a wet soil, but one that is well drained, with a loose subsoil. The plants will stand cutting several times during the first year. This method should be resorted to when sown on a field badly infested with weeds, in order to secure a stand of alfalfa. In 1902 a field rented by the college farm, which had been cropped for several years and become foul with mustard, was sowed to alfalfa. It was cut three times during the growing season, and the result was that in 1903 there was practically no mustard to be seen, but a first class stand of alfalfa was obtained.
George E. McEathron of Beadle county writes: “I consider alfalfa and clover culture practicable in this locality. I do not think it necessary to inoculate soil for these crops in South Dakota. After the first year I cut my alfalfa fields three times and secured an average yield of five tons to the acre. I have never allowed seed to mature, always cutting for hay. No trouble from winterkilling has been noticed.”
O. S. Jones of Lake county writes: “I began raising alfalfa on my place two miles west of Madison five years ago. The soil is a dark loam with some sand in it, lays level and has a sand and gravel subsoil. Water is obtained at a depth of eight to ten feet. I have used both the Turkestan and the common alfalfa, and I consider the latter the better for my land, as it grows ranker, with more leaf and better color than the former. I have had the best success in sowing about the first of May, without a nurse crop. On one four-acre piece seeded three years ago, I pastured 150 to 175 head of hogs and spring pigs for two months this year and also cut between 15 and 16 tons of hay in two cuttings. I sowed 12 acres this year in two six-acre fields, that have been pastured, continually, with 175 head of hogs and pigs and ten head of young cattle since early in July, and a great deal of it matured seed. I could have cut these pieces in August with profit had I so desired, and then had plenty of growth to have kept the stock in pasture, changing pastures each week.”
N. O. P. Synoground of Brown county writes: “I consider alfalfa and clover culture practicable in this locality. I also consider the Turkestan variety superior to the home-grown varieties. Cut the field twice the first year and received four tons per acre. I have never cut any for seed. These crops have not winterkilled here.”
TENNESSEE
Prof. H. A. Morgan, Director Tennessee experiment station.—Alfalfa has been known in Tennessee for many years, but not until the general failure of Red clover, due to one or more species of Colletotrichum, and the search for substitutes for Red clover, were any serious efforts made to grow alfalfa in this state. On alluvial land along the Mississippi river in west Tennessee, in what is known as the Central Basin section of middle Tennessee, and on the richer lands of east Tennessee, alfalfa has been grown very successfully, and each year large areas are being sown to this clover. Mr. L. Donaldson, of Lake county, gives the following relative to the preparation of soil, etc., for alfalfa in the alluvial area of west Tennessee: “The land is plowed deep with large moldboard breaking plows in September or about the first of March. It is then harrowed until thoroughly pulverized, and either about October 10 or April 1, two gallons of seed are sown, by machine or by hand. The harrow is used for covering the seed. We have no more trouble with the crop after seeding. The plants germinate and take root rapidly. I have known alfalfa roots to reach a length of two feet from the last of March to June 25. We frequently cut the crop five times per year.” George Campbell Brown of Maury county states that he has sown alfalfa in March using spring barley as nurse crop, and in September with success. Land sown to alfalfa in 1901 yielded four cuttings per year in 1902, 1903, and 1904, averaging from 16 to 18 tons per acre in the three years. Mr. Brown uses soil for inoculating, and believes he has gotten well-defined results from nitro-culture sent out by United States department of agriculture. At the experiment station at Knoxville, alfalfa has been successfully grown for many years. Heavy applications of farmyard manure and the use of 300 pounds of acid phosphate and 25 bushels of lime per acre invariably insures large yields of alfalfa. Crab grass, Panicum sanguinale, in summer and chickweed, Stellaria media, in winter are enemies to alfalfa in this latitude. These pests should be gotten rid of by the use of clean culture crops preparatory to the sowing of alfalfa. With plenty of stable manure, lime, and phosphorous, artificial inoculation seems unnecessary. Any soil of over a few feet deep may be prepared so as to grow profitable crops of alfalfa. This preparation is much more expensive on some soils than others.