Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1900-04-28
TWENTY-SECOND YEAR.

rope call it lucerne- Early in the his
tory of the Western continent, the
Spaniards carried alfalfa with them
to South America, where, as an es-
cape from civilization, it is said to be
found to-day growing wild over large
areas. In the arid districts of the
Andes mountains it has no doubt ac-
quired some of its wonderful powers
of resistance to heat and drought.
"Alfalfa was carried from Chill to
California about the year 1858, and
from there it has spread eastward to
the Mississippi-and even beyond.
Lucerne was introduced into New
York from the humid portions of Eu
rope as early as 1920, but this impOr-
tation seems not to have possessed
the hardness which distinguishes
the alfalfa of our western States. Re-
Gently the United States Department
of Agriculture has imported seed from
the arid plateaus of Turkestan. and
this stock promises to be even more
hardy and greater boon to agricul-
ture than has the South American
importation.
THE PROPER SOIL.
"The most desirable soil for alfalfa
is that of fertile creek or river bot
TOM lam, we'll drained and not SUBJ
ject to inundation. Any soil which
retains standing water on its surface
forty-eight hours will not successful
ly produce alfalfa. With this reser-
vation, / believe it safe to assert that
1T will grow on any soil that will pro-
duce corn, and on a good many soils
where corn will not grow. 1t prefers
a soil, however, that is rich in the
mineral elements of plant food, such
as potash, lime, magnesia, phoSphoric
acid, and sulphur. a soil formed from
decomposed limestone is ideal for the
growth of alfalfa. In central and
western Kansas 'alkali gumbo.' such
as is frequently found on the creek
bottoms of that section is considered
the most valuable alfalfa land.
sin considering the food require
ments of alfalfa, we need take into
account only the mineral elements, |
since the plant is able to draw more
nitrogen from the atmosphere by
means of the tubercles on its roots |
than it can use, and thus to enrich |
the soil by the addition of this other
wise most expensive element of food |
plant.
sit is the belief of the writer that |
IS per cent of the total area Of the |
state could be made to grow alfalfa |
and that if half of the
area of Kansas were Sown |
to this crop. her people would enjoy |
an income from their lands far great |
er than that which could possibly be |
secured from any crop known. to agri- |
culture.
PREPARATION OF EASTERN KANSAS
SOIL.
sAlthoueh successful stands of al |
falfa have been secured in some parts |
of the West by simply scattering the
seed among the prairie grasses and |
it in with an Acme or a |
disk harrow, or by seeding after the
breaking plow on prairie sod, such
methods are not to be recommended.
The preparation of the soil for this |
valuable crop should be made with |
about as much earnestness and ener- |
w as is usually manifested by the |
young man in planning his new home
for the reception OF his prospective
bride. In both cases the preparation
outlines work for lifetime. |
The preparation of the soil should |
rightly begin two or three years be-
fore the time of seeding
"Although alfalfa roots penetrate
very stiff soil, it generally pays to sub
soil such TO a depth of fifteen or
twenty inches, so that the young |
plant roots may not meet with dis
difficulties too early in life. /
The seed-bed should be as fine as an
onion bed, and the subsurface be
rather firm and well supplied with
moisture. Manure plowed under at
the time of subSoiling will add great
ly to its physical condition, and thus
held to start the Young plants out in
life with less difficulties to encounter. |
'.1f avoidable, alfalfa should never