The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-08-03

irrigation. In those parts of the irr1-
gated section where the soil and eli
mate are favorable alfalfa is indeed
marvellous plant. In Southern CAL
iforna, where irrigation water is
plentiful and inte1ligently applied,
1--WE crops of hay are cut in a single
season, while as far north as Central
Washington three good crops are Sc
cured, and, in exceptional seasons,
four.
Unfortunately alfalfa is somewhat
particular as regards soil and climate.
From it's habit of growth it is not
suitable to heavy clay soils, or soils
underlaid by clay hardpan. It's roots
penetrate very deeply and if the soil
is of proper texture it is no uncomomn
thing for the roots to penetrate the
soil from eleven to twenty feet. In
exceptional instances roots have been
known to penetrate the soil more than
a hundred feet. This great depth of
root growth enables alfalfa to draw
up stores of plant food that ere in
available to ordinary crops and gives
it great longevity. Many alfalfa fields
in the West are yielding good crops of
hay after having been cut for twenty
five years. 1t is seldom wise 10 leave
a field of alfalfa for so long a time as
this. because plants will be killed out
here and there by tramping, making
the stand thinner and thinner and al
lowing weeds to get a start: but IS
long as the stand is good and weeds do
not bother there is no object in plow-
ing up an alfalfa field.
For its best development this crop
requires a deep sandy loan free from
standing water within several feet of
the surface: abundant water to be
preferably applied at stated intervals
by irrigation, in not too large quanti-
ties; long hot summers and winters
not too severe. Where these conditions
exist alfalfa has no competitor as a
nay producer but it will thrive on a
good many types of soil; in fact, al
most anywhere except in stiff cays,
light dry sands and wet soils The
great value of alfalfa lies in it's great
yielding power, it's adaptahi1ity to
stock and the large amount of nitro
gen it contains. Most of the hay
crops of this country contain too little
nitrogen and it is necessary for the
stockman to make up this deficiency
by buying expensive mill products,
such as cotton seed meal. linseed oil
| cake, etc. Alfalfa is one of those
plants which draw g large amount of
nitrogen from the atmosphere. 1t
enricheS the ground upon which it
grows as far as nitrogen is concerned,
| and it has been found that, almost
without exception, a grain crop fol-
| lowing alfalfa makes phenomenal
| Yields.
Some recent experiments indicate
that when alfalfa hay is run through
a shredder and pulverized it is almost
equal, pound for pound, to bran as a
food for cattle. When stockmen learn
! this it will certainly have a decided
| effect upon the cost of keeping live
stock, particularly dairy cows, in these
sections where alfalfa is grown. An
other point that should not be over
looked is the increased value of the
farm yard manure when live stock are
fed rich heterogeneous food like alfalfa
| hay.
Although alfalfa is somewhat par
| ticular as to soil and climate. or
| rather, 1t should be said, responds
readily to favorable conditions of soil
and climate. il is at the same time
widely distributed in this country. On
the Pacific coast it has been cultivated
from Southern California to the Brit
ish line and even beyond. 1t is not
grown west of the coast range of
mountains, but in the interior valleys
of the coast states it has proven itself
perfectly at home. 1t has also done
well in Louisiana, Mississippi and the
| other Southern states, and last year a
| farmer in New York reported Ave tons
per acre. This shows that the range
of the adaptability of this plant is
greater than was previously supposed.