One of the chief problems which Iowa farmers have in growing alfalfa is to find a satisfactory variety. Few alfalfa fields are worth leaving after the third year because wilt has thinned the stand so much. The Iowa Station, along with various others and the United States Department of Agriculture, has been trying to solve this problem by finding or developing varieties or strains which are wilt-resistant, winter-hardy and yield well.

The little spotted skunk- you may know it as the "civet cat"- is proving itself one of Iowa’s most valuable fur-bearers, not from the fur standpoint, but because of the assistance it may render in the control of rats and mice. This is shown by research we have carried on in an area of southeastern Iowa.

Butter and lard once were the only table and cooking fats. Then other fats gradually appeared which were mild in flavor and odor, had higher smoking points than lard, and during the years their creaming qualities were gradually improved.

Is there any advantage in crossbreeding hogs for market? To help answer this question, we have summarized here about 10 years of work at the Iowa Station with 1,015 pigs in 108 litters. Various other stations have conducted similar studies. In our experiments we got these results: