Alfalfa Inoculation Tests

During the winter of 1909-10 an effort was made to secure cooperators among the farmers of Nebraska to test the value of inoculating newly seeded alfalfa fields. This investigation was 8uggested by reports received from correspondents during 1909. The names of farmers willing to cooperate were secured by correspondence and by conferences at the various Short Courses held during that year. In the spring of 1910 about thirty-five farmers, located largely near Broken Bow, Cambridge, Franklin, and Blair, agreed to test the effect of cultures sent by the United States Department of Agriculture, soil from well-established alfalfa fields, and farm manure in securing stands of alfalfa and on the subsequent growth. In the spring of 1910 about thirty-five farmers, located largely near Broken Bow, Cambridge, Franklin, and Blair, agreed to test the effect of cultures sent by the United States Department of Agriculture, soil from well-established alfalfa fields, and farm manure in securing stands of alfalfa and on the subsequent growth. The weather conditions were very unfavorable and it was thought advisable to repeat the tests in the spring of 1911. If anything, the conditions were more severe the second year. The difficulty experienced was because of extremely dry weather and a large number of grasshoppers. Many of the farmers applied the soil and used the culture but reported in July and August of each year that the crop was entirely dead. From the thirty-five cooperators we have only twelve reports to indicate the effect of these treatments. The tests should by all means be continued for a number of years, and should cover all sections of the state. The reports in this bulletin cover seedings of 1910 and 1911 and observations during the year 191