The weekly Arizona miner., 1873-07-03
Alfalfa Cnltnre.


 lis really wonderful, in view of ,he great profit to be derived from the culture of alfal- ia. that more of it is not raised. A gentle man who has resided on the Pacific coast for twenty years, in writing 10 the Rural Press, from Anaheim, Los Angeles County, Callfor- niA, says
 When irrigated, alfalfa will grow on every variety of soil and in this section produces crops of 1 tons. or l? tons of fine hay each year When irrigation IS used, the land should be made pereccly level, and divided into lots of from one Co four acres, by em- bankments one foot high the size of the lot- depending upon the head of water for irrigation.
 By this plan rrigating is no trouble, the gate Is opened and when tue water is one, two or three inches deep over the lot, close it again. the lot should not be larger than can be filled in an hour, on heavy lands too much water does harm, the aim should be to put on as much water as falls in a good rain. and no more, and when using the water from well, or small stream, the waters should be collected in a reservoir until the quantity is sufficient to cover the lot to the required depth; there is another advantage in this plan, by exposure tO the sun and air in the reservoir, the water becomes warmed before being used. But as in most cases it is diff cult, in fact, almost impossible, to irrigste on Alarge scale.
 ALFALFA WITHOUT IRRIGATION.
 have been noting tho cultivation of this plant on this coast, for the past twenty years and have in DO instance seen it succeed with out irrigation, except upon alluvial soil such as is found in the low flats along the margin of rivers. The conditions of successful culti- vstion are n friabe, mellow, mois. soil easily penetrated by the long tap roots, which should find permanent supply Of water at depth of not more than six to eight, and not less than three feet, the land should be thoroughly plowsd and the surface crust well pulverized, and about l5 pounds of clean seed sown per acre, and brushed in, being careful not to cover it too deep
 After the plants are six inches high, it is safe to pasture it by sheep or horses, bot cat tie should not be permitted to pasture upon it until it has been either mown or fed down once as they are liable to pull 1t up by the roots; after moving, it puts out lateral roots and has | firm hold upon the ground and Is safe. Our valley lands sown with alfalfa, will, without irrigation, easily sustain ten sheep or two horses, or two horned cattle, per acre, from year to year.
 To show that the above estimate is quite Wlthln bounds, Will state that two years ago, Messrs. White 6 Deuman, whose place is located in this valley, and whose land is no better than the average. had l5 acres of alfal- ia, it was about half a stand, there were not more plants on 1t than should have stood up- on one half the quantity Of land. Our rain fall that year was 5i inches, and notwith- standing that the l5 acres of land sustained 25 head of American horses and short horn cattle and also 25 head of merinO bucks ; none of these animals got any other feed, except the horses, ond they, only when they were at work. l visited the place in the dry est part Of the season, and the stock were all fat, and Mir. Dcuman, who was in charge, as- sured me, that but for his alfalfa, 1t would have taken all his grain crop to have kept his stock alive.
 PLsrURING GRAssHorPE
 In addition to the stock mentioned above, it must be remembered that this was not only dry season, but the whole valley had also been devastated by grashoppers, which, hay ing eaten the surrounding land entirely bare, had paid particular attention to this alfalft patch, built had triumphantiy sustained them si-horses, cattle, sheep and grasshoppers and continued to grow as fast as it could be eaten of. It was eight feet to water on tLis land, which had never been irrigated, and could not be, there being no ditch.
 Will not the farmers of Williamson and other moist valleys in Arizona, try the exper- iment ct raising alfalfa without irrigation They can, and should do it.
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