Henry M. Lyman's notes for radio interview re_ Grimms AlfalfaFriends of radio Wand I begin this way as two years a o it was my
P 3.raeledge to talk over `ea.L.A.G. on the origin of Grimm alfalfa
And T was Id surprised tc3.:.liolimealearn of the size of my an
dence also the Great inyerist there is through out the country
at, tlaer in a hardy alfalfa that will live and produce crops
year after year at the same tine inriching the soil in that much
needed element -Nitrogen there betaking it posibie to grow other
maxir:?ur crops when the land is rotated.
I say I was surprised--1 received letters - • ielerra
aide section of country. I heard from ustomers rom 1e4/York to
C from Mousura to Northern Canada. Only last week two
Oregon andti
r 4
parties stopped at
q
My office at :excelsior and said they en- eyed
my -aidio talk in th spring of 1' t.
How many more are listening to night I do not know but I do k t
know that there many times more radi..:se t _ e;t adiae.
save been asked to talk ort-sircsaffisals . _lfe seed in Minnesota.
6belAer--sla-- I would like to change the subject to
alfalfa seed in states tike Minnesota, eisconsin iii chigan
New-fork !act.
The large part of of the alfalfa seed crop of the world in grown
In semi dry sections where the rain fall is light as there roistu.r
canditions can be controled which is a favorable factor to alfalfa
seed production. So we must admit rigs here that a great Part of
of the millions of pounds of alfalfa seed used annua ly in this
country will continuo to come from dry areas. At the came time
the states I have mentioned will grow each year a much larger
pur potion then the have In the past.
This is no idal dream but is a reality as seed is bening grown.
in rg r quantities then general kn rn.To be pasific
know i_. rruc_ ;a. R,e
y.y
uan
will site a feka cases. 1,4 -sa
Alfalfa seed has been grown in Carver County since 1850.
1endelin Grimm. produced on his -farm near Excelsior Laximar
Yields during the summers of 1364 and 1865.
This is authentic and is spoken of in buletin no 209 By Charles
J.Brand fntitele i Grim Alfalfa and its Utilization in the north.
west. j
Every fei y-,:ars . : `produced. seed so that it was increased not
only on his farm but neighbors where led to plant sore.
There is an authentic dfield growing to day on the fad' of pry,*
q.erdsen near Excelsior a photograph of which can be found In
a bulletin written in 1912 By . idir ' es tgate of the departme
Now w --a 2 a ni ic? section yf ; papying crops of alfalfa
4
see d 'wave been ,:. Y }:-et since 1860 - not every year but often.
The heavy crops we grown only during the dry summers.
leavr seed crops were pissaitced three tines during the seventies.
This has been true each decade s ince*
The sunnier if 1893 produced as heavy a crop as they can grow in
the most a v'orable ?oca lities. ihy not they had ideal Montana ac/ i
weather. r
j =« .'G`±t3°ll.siteal - era, .6 . mA That year even. the first crop produced good
e
ti is not .zs , the r _ „ _ , z _ s
acres and he threshed over six bushels per acres of chaise bright.
seed. This and his neighbors seed was sold at a vex. low price
as , iseeDie did not the know about yhis wonderful .variety*
rT`c r
c t wasfr j uFf - r rI that Alfalfa dale farm was first
seeded. A fi eld planted in 1894 reniaine k for fourteen years
t.`
Pemi t!ng alfalfa field to Produce seed does not have a tendency to
weaken the alfalfa and there by reduce the stand as many supose.
During the e airier 1922 we peoduced a heavyiy crop of seed at Alf .l `e.
dale farm and T had e .car load .f seed ,1-ro ?'t3 in our neiglhbor hood.
pof A.C.Arnev of University farm 't,ocec photos not only of the seed
stackscks but of the machine in k / oiler twin threshing the seed.
By thr way if z,o , have alfalfa problems take them up w,th Prof
SfT.
L knot/,• 3]}
nfi«
o
4•t
one that '...can help you better then he.
Dar ins' tho moue_ cr of 1923 per soLily 1 cold over fifty i,thousa:id hour
in to Hennepin corm', thhiem joins Carver coenty any': a -; o{1. part
of that seed :;as crown in Chanhassenssen tow shin Carol, county.
enticn this to - web,r the stdtttl$i1t thatt seed CanAbe r dill:
in Minnesota.
I can give names and adress is 1 farmers in many counties that
are far more successful then we are hero. But ti mw will not Der miv"
0 ?°now of one farmers in Cotton rood County that has true Grimm
seed that has produced seed in paying quantities six years out of
ten. A large quantity of seed was grown near PO;ecan -='LapI s
during the sumer of 1922. They can thank L r Sorensen the
creamery man for tai s. :- was instrumental ''4 getting -' A rs tMs.' 4 A.2-%L lSJ.A1 -1for :1-L1,i7 a a_ ,Y:a sJ 1.'.. V i FarmersSJ V
To plant many thousand dollars worth od trto]i runs seed in 1919 and
1920. Now they are in a petition to collect"from neighboring coup
And belive me t',ey will not sell their seed cheap as they do not
have to. They paid One fol?ar per pound for a lot of their seed
j/"'-
in 920 a.y d in so'cing made a most _srofitablve.. investment
ecunty bent Bopp of Fort s. 'alls did a geeat work. He put on
alfalfa campaign dimu3 ar to'what is being done now at many po
Iljr°
2746" ;""
CZ-
1"#; 1t7 '
ton have got to hand it to Agent Bopp in that he was a head of the
ei. _t Y
y°..-,gym?
ft4^^ - ; F 1_ _ C
So much for growing2wing seed in M : esota.
Yr Stevens of Geneva New York Agriculturist for the Lehi Valley
Railroad did a great work in getting far tiers started growing their
own seedand it was his work with the aid of their experiment statio
that led thousands of farmers to get in tothe alfalfa game. They ,
grown considerable seed yet not a drop in the bucket to New Yorks
requirments.
I have a letter before me rritte?:, June 19 1924 by ProfJ.F.Cex
orf of yarn Crops Land sing +ichigan in which he says that 8000 bus
helsof alfalfa seed was produced in three town ships in Monroe
county in the favorable season of 1922 He also stases that the
season of 1923 was very unfavorable yet then- farmers produced over
a car load of sled. I
i i,,t• 444„-, .a °Af ,'}' •s r t_
k.. `*e••
I could give sit".";e ar reports from Wisconsin. Some years ago 1 had a t ,
letter from a cos;ome; in Penn enclosing a sample of seed tha t he
grew. He had threshed seven bushels of splendid s iX/ Grimm
seed and was pr,ud of his achei rien_t.
At tit' , - see-1t, - .:Z' the more ..1 co o11sa t.#1i e f`. ......
J n1 :?fa wo .. not ?rod iTent _6,1 it "a`U,vv•. ,d '1'1, .`;ini;F.m*
If yon? plan to grown alfalfa seed get the best va.ri ty also get seed ,
i with a definate pedigree. Then When you have seed t. offer you can
romand the prices
447
1'
Count:-„
y
T he farmers of PP nne_r g ton Iinr c . o ta t nrough their Frogressi
1 \.Cr,nnt;r agent J.J.McCPnn at Thief diver Falls with the assistance z
of their local bank etth close to TenThouca of Pedigree Grimm and ,.,:
I believe me the- `ill later reap their reward. te
ennegington County will be collecting a tp(// toil from neighboring -; ..1 counties a what C frog! Hennepin during I922t,,i1.L.7a4 S s 3.a r zlar 's:1 d.6la.t .8.r=or collected
4 IT-you have grown Prue Grimm seed you will have no trpublr in selli
r same provided you are any knind, of '4'salesmen.
Let the seeds men know you have it. T;i`e a '7i.l', pay good prices and. ou.
Seed houses will par you spot cash. I rehaps you prefer to sell it
dirrect to customers. This is _a wonderful way. Get and itt"ual,
s.
cleaning miliThe number one cf Number two clapper made at Sagneu p
r °:tchigan can not Improved upon you will alos need a scarifier. to
clarify your seed. Alfalfa of the Grimm variety has many hard seeds
id each garner sho old verify his seed before delivering of to
Istomers. A farme r size mill can be purchased at a lore coasts
chines are made today on a new plan that save the three or four
cent breakage tha.p was common on the original makes of Scarifir
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Now that you are convinced seed`can be grown and know some ahat of
how to prepare for market you are confronted with the selling end.
Dont do like the farmer did that had cabbage to sell.
rs Jones who longed for more of the neces ties of life suggested
to her husband that he learn te market her garden produce as a ne
i ghbor. smith was doing. Mrs Smith was having things that .tars Jones
could not have. so she prevailed upon her good husband to visit
the smiths and lear how to do the trick.
Why smith, said there is nothing to it. Simply drive to town with
extra fine quality and you will have no trouble in selling.
So Mr Jonnes started all right. rdj/// With the healp of hi='good w
wife and he children whty prepared a load of cabbage. Better cab
gage necer grew and he took the very pick of the patch.
A whole waj on box lead civtiefully packed ill a brand new wagon and
covered tightly with a to roolia.
Jones started for town with high hope early in the morning.
And after a long hard day he drove home with his entrle load. A dis
aponted familyy trii t! night.
Pinaly I,rJones when over to see neigh bos Smith.
w.
Smith says Good evening Mr Jones how did you conre out with you:f
cabba7e. Jones replied not at all 1 cam over to seed. Me/i/ Sad.
ilW/W91' alai/• where the trouble lies.
He told: Smith how he had driven every where with out sellin g a cabb
age.Finaly Smith enquired ////y&/ / / /A lust what took place and
admited that several parties hailed him and said Stranger
171,0'. what are you loaded with?Smith asked wht did you tell them. Tell
them whay I told them that it was none of their Dam Buisness.
Now 1 an going to tell of case of merchandising.
MrPeter Dirc_ks and old friend and neighbor Wendelin Grimmm likes
to tell this story and has told it to me many a time. The Ia,i `, thne
he told ne he was way past four score years and ten. , ;•.
fr Dirgks formerly lived in Carver County Minn he tells tells of 1
longing, lorp.,4ome of Grimm Aces a Klee after some very dry simrn,iersYaa-Lce c,
so he/Avarz over to Neighbor Grimm'