The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1874-03-10
agricultural department.
>
CONDUCTED BY ALBERT CHAPMAN.
Alfalfa Glover.

atHitd tIONet.
We wonld call the attention of the
farmers of Vermont 10 this species Of
clover, and would be glad to see it tried
10 our State. IL has been very exten.
sively introduced in California and it is
effectiug great change in the hay bust.
ness Of that State The crops it returns
there are enormous. The plant is some.
what tender when young A frost upon
it soon tfter it sprouts from the seed us.
ually kills it, and very dry season the
FIRST summer is apt to kill it out; but
safely through the first season. it is very
hardy afterward, and when it is two or
three years old it produces great crops
Of hay and pasturage.
The roots grow to very large size, in
the rich bottom lands of California, at.
tanning the size of three to five inches in
diameter, and living many years this
latter quality is great advantage, as a
field once well set TO alfalfa, is mine of
wealth for years. It is usually pastured
during the rainy season, and in spring,
until the middle OF April, when it is per-
mitted to grow up for hay, and in about
six weeks it is ready for the scythe. Az
ter it is cut it Immediately sends up
new crop, which in six weeks is again
ready for hay, and so on until the third
crop is cut. We heard of four crops be.
ing cut 10 one season, but on the places
we visited only three crops were cut.
We we're assured that two tons to cut
ting was only medium crop, and three
tons usually realized where the land was
good, and was irrigated once during the
season. AS the roots penetrate to so
great depth, the drouths we have at the
east, would. probably, not affect it seri-
ously. In California last fall, without
rain for eight months, the alfalfa fields
were green and growing, while every
other kind Of grass was dried up to
crisp.
At the ranch Of Mr.. N. Wycof, Of
Woodland, Yolo county, Cal, we saw
field which had been cut, and from which
they were cartipg the third crop of al.
falfa, and should think that more, rather
than less. than three tons was taken off
the acre at this crop, and we were as.
sured that the other two crops we're
equally as heavy or better. Mr.. Wy.
coff had nearly halfhis farm of 160 acres
in this clover. third or more we should
think he was raising seed from. This
portion is either pastured or cut for hay
once, when it is permitted to grow up to
seed, anb it takes twice the time to per.
feet this crop that it does when hay only
is required. The straw left after thresh.
ing the seed is valuable for fodder, and
we were assured that stock relish it, and
thrive upon it. Tho vast quantity of al.
falfa hay Mr.. Wycoff had cured and
stored was wonderful, and the field We
saw was being cleared by parties who
had purchased it at an exceediDly low
price, as Mr., w. did not care to be
troubled with any more of the hay last
season.
Mr.. Shippy Of Stockton gave us an &C.
count of small experiment with this
clover on his sheep ranch, about six miles
out of the city. He had field of 16
acres one-fourth had been set to alfalfa,
the remainder to common grasses that
through the dry season would not pro.
duce much feed. Last winter $50 breed.
ing ewes and 100 lambs were turned into
the field. In June the portion in alfalfa
had grown so large that two tons of hay
per acre was cut and taken off, or eight
tons Of good hay. The sheep had no
other feeding the entire year than what
grew on the l6 acres, the eight tons Of
hay being ample to keep the sheep what
time the pasture was deficient in the fall
and early winter.
We saw the hay fed for six weeks to
sheep that had been taken out to Cali.
fornia last fall, and we are confident that
no hay raised at the east could have pro.
duced SO good condition in the same time,
and the opinion of all the men we have
talked with who have taken sheep to
California. and recruited them on this
hay, is the same as ours. From what
we have been able to learn by making
inquiries in Nevada, where tho situation
is exposed, dry and cold, we think alfalfa
clover could be successfully raised in
Vermont. We 10 not believe it would
produce such enormous crops as are
grown in California, but return more
valuable than could be received from any
other hay could be realized, and we hope
to sec it tried in different parts Of the
State. The seed is much smaller than
red clover, and it takes less pounds to
the acre, consequently the cost Of seeding
is no more than with the red,
We thsll probably give some more
facts 10 regard to this forage plant, and
meantime should like to publish facts
that have been experienced, or come under
the observation of others.