Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1889-05-30
CLOVER AND ALFALFA


an old plant lucern. now called by Its
Spanish aarne. alfalfa. as much SUI
perior to clover. and farmers who are
not we'll acquainted with the latter are
In danger OF being misicd. Expert
ence has proved the value OF clover n
green forage crop for hay and for its
valuable effect upon the soil In improv-
ing IL and preparing il for other crops.
IL Is quite safe To consider clover a.
the most useful of all agricultural
plants OF its kind and for the purposes
mentioned. for 1t will grow on any
kind OF soil except "A swamp. Is cheap
ly grown Is exceedingly nutritious
and wholesome fodder. and really
leaves the land in a more available
condition for succeeding crops than IL
was previously. IL is the best OF that
class Of crops known rs ameliorating
or improving TO the soil. and it Is con-
scquenfly invaluable In n regular rota-
tion. But 1t is not a permanent crop.
and consequently not satisfactory to
thoss farmers who want every valu-
able quality in one plant
And IL Is said-but most untruly ex-
cept within narrow bounds-that al
falfa does possess every valuable quail
ity and Is. 50 to speak. all that fancy
can paint IL In its place. no doubt.
this plant has every desirable quality
TO greater or less extent. but its
/ place Is only where clover will not
flourish 10 perfection. aud it grows
perfectly we'll only in dry. arid. hot
soils under irrigation Luccrn Is an
Italian plant and was grown by the
ancient Romans. IL thrivcs To perf,c-
tion ON the plains Of Northern Italy.
where the crops arr irrigated aud reg
ulariy fertilixed Under these coudi-
tons the yield frequently reaches
eighty tons of green fodder per acre.
which is cut and fed in it, green stat.
TO the cattle and horses. The growth
il so rapid that cuttings are made at
intervals Of two weeks during the long
/ summer season A. similar conditions
/ Of soil. climate. and manner of culture
I prevail in parts OF California. the
/ growth il there equally lgNuri ant.
especially on the exceedingly rich
marsh river bottoms. known as tuls
lands This plant is also very profit
ably grown in Colorado. Utah and
other localities in the West. where
the fertile soil yields its rich
produce under the system of irrigation
which seems most favorable for the
successful culture Of the crop. which.
once sowu. rsm.ins productive for
many years IL need not be- said that
slower Is not suited for this sort OF
culture. and equally lueern Is not suit
ed 10 the conditions under which
clover Is grown successfully. Conse-
/ quently where one Of these plants sue
ceeds the other fails. except in rare
cases. and even then with difficulty.
Lucern Is essentially crop for dry.
arid. but rich soils and for irrigation; /;
clover Is essentially plant for farm
culture in rotation with other crops.
1t lasts for only two or three years.
when the land must be again plowed
and sown with grain. Its growth is
rapid and strong from the first, and
weeds are quickly smothered by its
dense shade. IL IL. however unneces-
sary to go into details in regard to its
/ culture. except TO remark that fair
chance tn prove its full value is rarely
/ given to it. and that under a proper
system OF management it might be
made more valuable than it il gen.
orally.
Lucern requires rich soil While
its roots are long and deep and its
general character is much like that OF
clover, it can not gather its food from
the subsoil as the clover does. IL be-
longs to the same family of plants that
clover does. but its stems are thinner
and more woody and its foliage less
dense and leafy. Its flower Is
slenderer and of pale purple. 1t can
not be grown as by-erop or sown
with a grain crop. 1t will not grow
among weeds; its first growth. even
on rich soil. Is weak and slow and il
must have the whole land to itself and
requires help by cultivation. 1t is
usually sown in drills twelve to twenty
inches apart and must be worked an.
nually at least. and il the soil is
weedy, intermediate cultivation is
necessary. Its hard stem and small
leaves unfit it for making hay. and its
best use is for green fodder for cows.
horses. oxen or sheep. IL is often
pastured down, and it makes a. ac-
ceptable food for swine. The expert
cnce Of the writer with this crop as
couS,ared with clover during twenty
five years past has been that
two tons of clover hay or
ten tons OF green Clover can
be grown where luceru will not cover
four inches high. and that az least fifty
dollars per acre in fertilizers and labor
are needed to produce any thing like a
yield equal to that of clover in any To-
eality where clover is grown As n
substitute for clover, then. in ordinary
farm practice, lucern can never be
profitable. but where the conditions
are favorable for it. it is more valua-
BILE than clover is elsewhere. because
of its permanence. lasting. as it will
when irrigated and fertilized, for
twenty-five or even fifty years.
For these reasons. the misleading
and really fraudulent advertisements in
some of the agricultural journals are
to be deprecated as deceptive and in