Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1893-06-21
BEATS ALFALFA.
Wonders Of a New Forage Plant In.
valuable for the Arid Lands
Of New Mexico.

TO the Editor of the NEw MEXICAN.
SANTA Fz, June 2O.--Ia as much az
your esteemed paper reaches many dia-
tant places and is read extensively in New
Mexico, it affords me pleasure to transmit
to you for insertion the following short
notice of new forage plant which is just
now attracting the greatest attention
among enlightened agricultural circles in
Germany.
1t is asserted BY the German agricul-
tural papers that the new plant which
forms the subject of this communication
possesses not only all the valuable quail
ties of tho best known hay and forage
plants, but that in many respects it is
superior to even red clover and lucerne
Qucerne, better known here by its Span
ish name of alfalfa, has, for centuries,
been cultivated extensively in many por-
tions of central and southern Europe,
more especially for green fodder).
The plant speak of belongs to q
branch of the botanical sub-family of
papilionaceac OF proper, pulse, described
in Gray's Manual of Botany as vetchlings
or everlasting peas; family which
possesses several perennial as well as an
nual species, and which the sweet pea of
our flswer gardens pertains. The red
clover, alfalfa, the pea, kidney bean, len
til, lupin and various other field and gar
den plants aud vegetables of economic
value belong to this or other branches of
the general family of Leguminoseae or
leguminous plants.
! A professor in one OF tho agricultural
colleges or experimental stations Of the
kingdom of Wurtembsrg, in Germany,
named Wagner, has for more than thirty
years
| DEVOTED HIS ATTRSTloS
to the improvement OF n species of these
peas, or vetchlings, found growing wild
in the native woods of his locality, and
the result OF his experiments has been
the culture Of a new and improved forage
plant that has OF late, as some Of the
agricultural papers of that country ex-
/ press 1t, bagun attracting Colossal at
ftenfion" among the farmers Of Germany.
| 1t is found to be particularly we'll
adapted to meadows, and the govern
ment OF several German ststes have
directed their agricultural schools and
experimental stations to devote special
attention to the cultivation of this highly
priced new plant known botanically
as "lhthyrus silvestris."
A German agricultural periodical gives
the following description of this improved
meadow, or everlasting pea:
'This plant" it says, "has all the yalu
able traits of red clover or lucerne, with
out showing any of their defects; (such as
causing bloating in cattle when fed green
carelessly, or the heaves in horses when
hay is given dusty, and surpasses them
in every valuable essential of fodder
seventy years on the same spot without
necessitating new seeding. Itgrows on
any soil free from stagnant water. Where
no other forage plant will live, 1t flour.
ishes with undiminished vigor and ex-
uberance,
SCARCELY NEEDING RAIN
after 1t is once we'll established the second
year. After that time it needs no further
care except moving and gathering.
SIT produces heavy crops, averaging
about 200 quintals to tho hectare -four
tons per acre) of cured hay. Itsnutritive
properties twice exceed those of red
clover or alfalfa, weight for weight; care
full investigations, made at several ex-
perimental stations, showing that the two
latter plants contain only 10 to II per
cent of protein or albumen, while this inn
proved lathyrus or everlasting pea con-
tains from "a to 30 per cent of these valu-
able nutritive substances. Cattle as we'll
as horses and hogs eat it with avidity.
The yield of milk from COWS fed with it
averages about rs per cent moro than
when fed with any other fodder, and the
quantity of cream from the samo amount
of milk is nearly doubled. The use of its
hay as a provender is also said to afford
preventive or cure against murrain or
spleen diseases" :...4
do mot, of course, make these wonder.
full assertions from my own knowledge,
and only relate here what have read, but
| 1t must be remembered that even, if they
should seem somewhat exaggerated, they
come to us from body Of agriculturists
and
SCIENTISTS OF HIGH ORDER,
Who are known to be careful observers
and are usually guarded in their state
ments.