The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1904-05-21
REvoLuT1oN By ALFALFA.
The ndenendenk. N 7.


The introduction of single plant has wrought
revolution in the social and the economical
affairs of the whole world. The potato changed
affairs in Europe as much as, or more than, did
Napoleon. One of our ablest physicists says:
''Give us wheat that will yield an average of
sixty bushels per acre and the world will be alb
solutely made anew"
Probably the greatest agricultural revolution
of the present generation is being wrought by
the quiet introduction of the new forage plant
alfalfa. This plant came into the United States
at least half a century ago, but it was confined
in its culture mainly to California. 1t has re-
Maine to Oregon, and through the whole mid
continent. There is not State where it has
proved to be failure; It is far and away the
best soiling crop and the best hay crop ever in
troduced into the United States. In the short
space Of about ten years it has come to the front,
leaving even the red clover and timothy good
way behind in the race.
Alfalfa or lucern, seems to have had its origin
In the central districts of Asia, but was known
in Greece and the Roman states at least two
thousand years ago. The Romans cultivated it
as forage, to be carried on their foreys against
the Germans and into Africa. We hear of it
during the first and second centuries. It was
taken into Mexico by the Spaniards, and when
first brought into special notice and inyestiga,
ted at our Agricultural stations 1t was supposed
to be South American plant.
The peculiar qualities of this new plant are
first of all that it is droughtresister. 1t feeds
so deeply that only the most protracted dry
weather can possibly have any effect upon it. 1t
feeds from ten to fifteen feet down into the most
compact soils, and is said to have capacity of
going even fifty feet into loose soils. The young
plant consists of number of low branches,
springing from simple stalk at the crown OF
the roots. On the old plant the robust stems
will grow underground and become new plants.
That is, the plant has power to multiply itself
by side growth. 1t will grow in any soil, from
the sea level to seven thousand feet elevation.
In the foothills of California and Colorado it has
reached this hight and thrived. 1t adapts itself
to limestone, but grows best in light and sandy
loan with loose subsoil. 1t makes but one de-
mand upon us, and that is for good drainage:
Water must not be allowed to stand on a field of
alfalfa for more than forty eight hours for, If
the ground becomes saturated and remains so
With good soil, rich in lime, potash and phos-
phoric acid, and a subsoi thoroughly drained.
the plant is permanent. 1t will resist drought
crops year without failure. The Turkestan
varieties have a better power for resisting
drought than those formerly introduced
The Western States report that the value of
alfalfa is becoming more and more understood,
and the area grown is steadily widening. This
is specially true of all the stock producing States
the new plant has been tested with q good deal
of caution and conservative doubt. The United
every State in the Union is now experimenting
with alfalfa and it is considered to be one of the
most important movements that ever occurred
the Southern States the best results are secured
from autumn sowing, but in the Middle North
and North alfalfa should be drilled IN the spring,
when danger of hard frost is past. 1t grows
taller in the western States than in the Eastern,
and is said to be even more drought-resisting.
Like clover alfalfa is q nitrogen collector. 1t
belongs with those plants which can collect from
the atmosphere its food by means of minute
organisms on the roots If examined the roots
will he found to be covered wit small tubercles,
and these, when examined under microscope,
will be found to contain great numbers OF bac-
terra. Alfalfa holds this power In connection
with the legumes in general, including beans,
peas and clover. By growing it tho farmer not
only secures q large quantity OF excellent hay
or fodder, but he enriches his fields, instead OF
exhausting them. If the crop is plowed under
it supplies a vast amount of nitrogen to the soil.
The amount Of bay that can be cut per acre
successive cuttings. This alone would class the
plant as revolutionary. 1t considerably more
than doubles the average nay crop; our EAST
ern farmers have not yet acquired the requisite
skill in always securing the best alfalfa hay, but
they are making gains from year to year. The
value of the hay will depend upon thorough
curing before the leaves have dropped off. The
number of cuttings vary from three in New
So Trk States There is field reported from
the State of Sonora, in Mexico. which IL known
to have been kept in alfalfa continuously for
over sixty years and is said to be In as good con-
dition today as it ever was. Well cured alfalfa
hay is worth as much, weight for weight, as any
other hay and it is suitable for all farm animals.
An alfalfa field, however, does not always make
safe pasturage. The hay and the fodder are
profitable when fed as rations for all sorts of
farm stock, especially for sheep and young.
growing cattle and horses. 1t is an almost PER
feet soiling crop. Transfers lind that their
horses are kept in perfect condition Tor work by
being fed on fresh cut alfalfa from small fields.
In other words, it serves admirably for those
who have only an acre or two of soil and hereto
fore have had to buy grain. The Department
of Agriculture reports that single acre of
alfalfa will furnish forage for twenty hogs
through the season.
The story is quite TOO long to be told editori-
ally, and we leave the fuller discussion to the
AGRICULTURAL publications. But this much we
already see that we have in alfalfa plant that
promises to work an amazing change with stock
growing, hay producing and honey-produciDg,
Especially during years troubled with drought.
The product is more than double that of any
forage or hay crop heretofore in cultivation, If
we except the cowpeas, which, of course, can
not pete in our Northern States. Agricul-
ture bids fair to be developed in more ways than
feItine6 UuaU ieIIuTA< pun our
selves in position to meet the increasing demand
for our products With the old forage plants
our meat supply will soon be behind the de-
mand, and the same may be said of our supply
of horses. 1t is equally important that we shall
be able to create a flank movement in these
days. when droughts are destroying sometimes
one-fifth of our products.