The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-10-03


 as if alfalfa were something new when really the plant is as old as the ages of time. Others talk and write as if alfalfa is to change the whole system of farm ing in the south and west Especially is this doctrine being preached throughout Texas.
 Now. this Is all nonsense, and to the practical, up to date agriculturist such teaching Is more like children building cob houses just to see them fall when they get them up high enough to be inter esting. That alfalfa is valuable plant for both hay and pasture for a great range of country there is no question, and there are variety of soils upon which alfalfa may be grown to great advantage.
 Claims Exaggerated.
 If alfalfa would only produce just one half of what is now being claimed for 1t by some of our enthusiasts, why all the farmers in the south should rush into alfalfa growing at once. But 1t will not f1ll these wild claims Still there are many sections and many soils where the plant may be grown with good profit.
 have spent much time in Investigating the value of alfalfa and have seen 1t grow ing under various conditions and over very large area of country, from the At lantie to Utah. have seen 1t grown un- der irrigation, as well as the Providence crops, where farmers depended on rain for water. have followed the Arkansas river to its head and made careful note of the growth of this plant along the banks, and have seen 1t growing and prospecting on the lower Arkansas without irrigation, while the country in the upper Arkansas valley needs to be irrigated In order that 1t may prove paying crop.
 Needs Irrigation In Texas.
 In Texas. especially western Texas, the plant needs irrigation 10 bring out best results All through Texas, Kansas, Ne braslka, and in fact we might say all the western states there Is more or less land we'll adapted for alfalfa growing, and in many sections good crops may be pro- duced without irrigation. This, of course, depends entirely upon the amount of rain- fall which such sections may receive.
 Then there are other sections where the crop would be an entire failure without the water supply. This season the rain- fall in the west has been unusually heavy and more generally distributed than for some years, so this accounts for the enor- nous crop of alfalfa hay we see from Texas on up through all the great north- west.
 In the southeastern states there are sections where there is no doubt but what irrigation during the periods of our dry season would pay and pay we'll; but as a rule these states can be better depended upon for Providence crops than can any of the states west of the Mississippi river.
 Alfalfa Fever.
 Before going further on the merits and value of alfalfa it might be we'll enough to state that alfalfa fever is periodical It breaks out anew every few years when agricultural papers and lecturers thrash over the same old straw. Twenty years or more ago we were experimenting with alfalfa in Iowa, and found that only in a few favored localities and only cer- tain soils would 1t succeed. We found that 1t would not survive the winters in Iowa. while in Colorado and Nebraska, where the climatic conditions were the same, 1t would go through the winter all right. So that 1t was not the cold alone that killed 1t in Iowa. The great differ ence was in the soil conditions. One soil suited it. the other did not, and here was where the difference came in.
 Undesirable Localities.
 Then again 1t has been proven that 1t is not advisable to try to grow alfalfa in states where red clover and blue grass grow to perfection, as they do in states like Illinois, Iowa. Missouri and Ken lucky. Yet in each of these states may be found small sections where it would pay to grow alfalfa. In fact there are but few states In the union, if any, that do not have some soils well adapted for this plant. Of course the reader Is more in- terested In what alfalfa will do In the southern states, and in particular as to what may be expected of 1t in Alabama. Before taking up this part of the sub ject I want to first notice some of the claims that are made about the value of alfalfa It has been claimed by some that four cuttings of hay may be had each year, and that from four to six tons f,f hat l1a bod fr0.. e., tings. Now one. of the finest sections that l found for alfalfa, and one where the average is fully up to any in the country I find that the growers count a crop of four tons per acre for the season a good crop. This sells for from $4 to ss per ton. as they stated the average price of $6 per ton was counted a good price.
 In Oklahoma.
 In Oklahoma I found that a good crop would give four tons per acre per annum and give an average price of $8 per ton In Texas I found crops that would give four tons per acre. four cuttings, and here the price ranged from $14 to $16 per ton Of course I could hear of greater yields but these are conservative estimates gathered from the best and most reliable growers. Such yields as these may be easily obtained in Alabama as we'll as in many other of our southern states But when it comes to talk about twelve tons from one acre per annum and from SIP to SIS per ton, this is exaggeration, so far as average crops are concerned.
 Of course, under very favorable condi- tions big crops like these may be ob- tained, but this would be the exception in- stead of the rule, and there would be more farmers who would grow even less than an average of four tons per acre than there would be who would grow above this.
 But there would be other values beside the hay crop, for there would be much fine pasture, and then alfalfa Is a fine fertilizer, a soil renovator. All this should be taken into account Then a crop of seed can be- saved in some sections. The seed crop, however. would be at the ex- pense of part of the hay crop.
 Hog Claims a DeIusion. Now the claim that hogs may be grown and made fat, ready for the market on alfalfa alone, is a delusion. Hogs will grow and thrive on alfalfa pasture to certain stage, but for pork and lard they must be fed grain in con neetion with the alfalfa and must have grain to finish them up on. The same is also true as regards beef cattle.
 Alfalfa makes the finest of hay when properly managed and stock are very fond of it. Work horses will do with less grain when they are fed good alfalfa hay, and some farmers have made crops with no other feed for their work mules. Alfalfa pasture Is fine also for horses, cows. hogs. sheep and poultry. but the crop should never be pastured the first year or before the plants are permanently