Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-03-08
ALFALFA.
A Very Prof able Grass Which Can Be
GroNn without GreRt Trouble
In Tsrrsnt County Soil.
MsjOr Van Zsnds and Oommis-
sioner Holloway Say AboutIr

For some time past the people of Colo
RADIO have been devoting considerable
atten ion TO the growing OF alfalfa, which
is of the clover family. 1t grows readily
in Colorado, but the farmers are COM
PEELED to irrignte the land on which 1t is
planted, but Notwithstanding this ex-
pense the culture of alfalfa is profitable
As yet Texas and Tarrant county
have given but little attention to
raising this grass, but it grows
here readily and really reaches its highest
stste Of perfection and it is not necessary,
in this part of the state ct least, to irri-
gate to produce it.
Learning that Major K NJ. VanZ andt
and Commissioner Fl. W. Holloway had
raised alfalfa and knew considerable about
it, GAZE TIE reporter called on the gen.
tlemen in question and obtained some
valuable sud interesting information.
| MsjOr VarZindt said: 81 have had
ten acres of bottom land planted in alfalfa
for the last three or four years and am
we'll pleased with the result. The best
time to plant is late in March or early in
April. The plant is tender until well
rooted, but after that is very hardy. The
ground should be thoroughly pre-
pared before planting. Alfalfa is
good grazing for cattle and horses,
snd hogs will get fat on it.
1t does not require a rich soil as can be
seen by looking at the patch Of alfalfa
grown by Peter Smith near his residence,
the soil there is not deep, in fact, the
land is somewhat rocky. In Colorado the
people are enthusiastic over the subject
| Ia H.lG &c 90
irrigste, which is not the case
here. The plant requires sun
which it gets in this section.
1t makes fine hay and can DE cut several
times year. Sowing is required bu;
once. 1 noticed d short time ago that az
army c f1lcer who passed along our from,
tier forty years ago found a field OF
alialfs grown by 8 Mexican, and
purchased some OF the hay. Lately
the same officer passed by the
same farm and again bought hay cut
from the same field which had never been
seeded since the first planting. Alfalfa
bears cold well. It can DE pastured to
advantage, and my field is good grazing
now" i
Mr. Holloway WAS found to be Quit
enthusiastic on the subject, and said Tn
| u.
1t could induce our farmers tosfryo alfalfa
cultivation. SIT requiIes,' said Mr.
Holloway, twenty to twenty-five pounds
of seed to the acre, which costs II to Il
cents per pound, bushel weighing abeuI
sixty pounds. 1t should be planted early
in April, but not so early SIS to be killed
BY frost, for st fest 1t is very
tender and is easily killed, but is very
| 10 I'D
ter. Il belongs to the clover family, anC
has a purple blossom. Ihaye twenty five
or thirty acres in the bottom near the
city, and it is high enough now to hide 6
rabbit. 1t grows to three feet, and car
be cut for hay fur times a year. l have
never fed anything to STOCK
ish and on which they impr. we'd
field last year from the sowing Of two
years sgo, and it was quite dry as you
know, but it has rooted from three to five
bear considerable pasturing, and hogs
1t. In pamphlet published or
the subject which 1 read
Is recorded q case where in Colorado q
river had changed it's course, cutting
through field of slfAlfs, and the plant
was found to have rooted itself fifteen tC
twenty feet. The hay is very fine, snC
brings from S12 to SIS per ton. will
endeavor to obtain 6 history of alfalfa
and think 1t would be q good thing tC
publish ell the information on the subject
to be obtained"
1t would seem that comparatively little
is known of alfalfa in this county, anC
those who nave knowledge and expert.
ence should spread the information
The botanical name OF alfalfa is medicago
sstiVH.