The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-12
FARM AND
GARDEN ~
INTERESTS
Alfalfa i'm the West.

The roots of alfalfa plants have been fol-
lowed in many instances from thirty TO
sixty feet. Plants from two to four years
old have roots from six to ten feet long.
Alfalfa roots were found coming through
the top of a mining tunnel in Nevada, 10
feet below an alfalfa field. With such roots
the plant is deep and gross feeder. 1t re-
quires three or four years for the plant TO
reach its prime. and in many instances
fields quarter of a'century old have shown
no decrease in the yield quality. The
plant obtains its food far below the feeding
ground Of other plants, leaving the surface
store for shallower feeders. When the deep
boring roots die and decay, they enrich the
soil with their own fertilizing ingredients.
and also leave openings through which air
and moisture penetrate. The plant is a most
valuable fertilizer and subsoiler, as in a
well-set field five years old there will be
found from ten to thirty roots to each
square foot for each plant five feet below
the surface
The profits from alfalfa are large. Re-
ports of profits for season of $40. SOS and
$94 an acre have been recorded. The seed
from one crop is often sold, and fifty
eight-acre field has been reported as having
earned for the owner S. 500 in year. At
Kearney, Neb, field of twenty-five acres
yielded 1000 bushels of seed, and the hay
was sold for $3.50, a profit of sl,S50 on the
Held. Dairy cows have made returns OF
$l2.50 month when fed on alfalfa. One
record is of herd of twenty calves, bought
at SIS each. fed from August to December
unlimited alfalfa and rations of corn, and
shipped to market They averaged 1,191
pounds each, and sold on an average for
$3.50. profit of 4.35 a head, less the cost
or shipping and selling. These twenty head
in less than five months left profit of s6s7
to pay for the alfalfa hay fed TO them. The
calves averaged in weight 400 pounds when
bought, and gained on an average 7y1 pounds
head Experiments have shown that
alfalfa is worth s. ton for four tons 10
feed four-year-old steers, or So an acre.
Four tons are worth 5000 a ton to feed two
year-old steers, or Si2 an acre. Four tons
are worth SIG a ton TO feed yearlings. or $64
an acre. Four tons worth 5000 a ton
TO feed hogs and lambs or $50. 40 an acre.
Prof. Voorhees,, chemist of the New Jersey
experiment station, has determined that
there is $71.15 worth of nitrogen, potash and
phosphoric acid commercial fertilzers) in
one acre of alfalfa plowed under for a fer
tilizer.
In California and Colorado the greatest
tonnage of alfalfa is raised by irrigation.
In Kansas and in Nebraska the largest
yields without irrigation are harvested. 1t
is grown in the valleys and on the second
bottom" lands without irrigation quite as
well as with irrigation. Each year the acre
u.
tary of the Kansas state board of agri-
culture and superintendent of the live stock
section of the st. Louis exposition, is the
highest authority on alfalfa. Some years
ago he wrote a handbook for farmers en-
titled Alfalfa" That book is the same
to the farmer that a textb is 10 a
college man. The farmer who intends TO
raise alfalfa buys the textbook and learns
the lessons therein before he plants his
field TO alfalfa. The haphazard fay of put
ting seed in the ground and awaiting de-
velopments is not for the Western farmer
He must know all about his crops. He
will learn that an excellent way to get the
seed well imbedded in the ground is to
drive herds of stock. especially sheep. over
the ground after it is seeded.
The purple alfalfa blossoms hold nee
tar from which bees produce the best
grades of honey. Many apiarists assert that
an alfalfa field Is superior to clover and
buckwheat for bees, and that the grade of
honey produced by bees feeding the
blossoms of alfalfa is of the finest quality
and most perfect flavor. The extensive
fields of alfalfa in the prairie country has
resulted in many apiaries where a few
years ago the honey industry was impossi-
Bile, and therefore unthought of. Chickens
for the coloring they give the eggs. Chick
ems and hogs can eat alfalfa at will, but
horses and cattle are fed uncured alfalfa
only in limited quantities. Horses and cat
tie, II allowed to eat greedily i'm the fields.
| are liable to "bloat." The stomachs of the
animals swell and death results i'm a short
time. Alfal1a nay Is led TO cattle and
horses from the stack without danger.
In most cases alfalfa thrives best on
bench lands i'm sandy loan, with a por-
Gus subsoil. Ii is successfully grown, how
ever, on poorer soil, and even in clay,
provided the roots are able TO penetrate
the subsoil. Before alfalfa is sown the land
should be thoroughly disintegrated by one
or two grain crops. In the fall the land
should be given deep blowing, and in the
| spring should be>carefully pulveriezd with
a harrow and clod crusher. The seed
should not be sown until the danger of Sc
we're frost is past. Young alfalfa cannot
withstand a severe frost. The sowing can
be done with a grain drill and care must
be taken that the seed is not buried more
than two inches. With drill about
twenty pounds of seed an acre is necessary.
If sown broadcast thirty pounds Will be nee
essary. The making of hay requires no
small amount of skill. Care must be taken
to prevent the first and second crops, each
season, from molding in the stack. The
hay must be cured sufficiently TO keep ii
sweet and not allow II to become too dry,
as the leaves will shed in handling. The
alfalfa may be cured in the windrow if
| it can be put into the stack Immediately
when ii is ready Often IL is raked quite
green into the windows. being allowed to
cure somewhat, and then being put into
small-siZed cocks and allowed 10 stand
until ready for the stack. Alfalfa does not
make safe pasture for sheep or for cat
| tie, but horses and swine can Craze upon
1t with safety. Alfalfa hay makes the best
| of feed for cattle and sheep, and they