The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-02-05

plant. Also experiments are being con- ducted In grinding and mixing with alfalfa hay meal, the sugar beet pulp This promises to become very valuable feed and Is called afalmo. As soon as ma ehnery Is made that will handle the hay to a better advantage in grinding, this food, alfalfa will no doubt take the place of wheat bran in the feeding of dairy cows, and thus add much to the dairy industry of the country.
 Alfalfa furnishes almost a complete ration for work horses and mules, and 1t is surprising to note what service work stock has given when fed almost ex- clusivey on alfalfa. In some sections crops have been made by feeding the work horses and mules almost exclusively on alfalfa hay.
 Honey Plant.
 Among the many good things for which alfalfa is noted, is that 1t is great honey producer and then 1t does not in the least effect it as a food plant as the bees get the nectar from it's flowers and this pro- duces the very best quality of honey. 1t will pay all bee keepers to provide a plot of alfalfa for bee pasture, If needed for no other purpose.
 Alfalfa Is also a great fertilizer It's roots penetrate the soil and they act as subsoiers, while the plant feeds upon the air in the soil. as we'll as upon the soil itself and in this way stores large amounts of plant food in the land for it's own use and for chrops that come after Its, so that if the lands are once prepared for the seeding of alfalfa as here ad- vised, the plant will then not only take care of itself but will gather and store food for other crops that may follow. However we wOuld adViSp tho Dra aptisa n top dressing each spring, as recommended above, as this will greatly increase the yield of fine hay.
 How to Get Rid of Alfalfa.
 As alfalfa enriches and prepares the soil for production of large yields of other crops so that it might become neces- sary to change the land and plant other crops, there would be no difficulty in clearing the soil of the alfalfa as by the use of sharp blow and the roots may be cut off and turned out, but as the plant forms such a strong root 1t will require good team to handle blow in the blow ing it up.
 It may also be flooded and the water left to freeze or stand for some days, covering the field and this will kill it out. But it is never advised to kill out rood field of alfalfa until another has been prepared and new crop secured.
 Summary.
 We have tried to outline this subject so that any one may be able to succeed in growing a fine crop of alfalfa. However, the new beginner should study this bulle- tin as child would a primer, when it first starts to school. for unless the details are outlined here, especially as regards soils and preparation of soils is fully ad- hered to. failure Is sure to result. The writer of this little work has spent much time in the past four years in the study of this valuable plant. in fact it is ques- ton as to whether there is another stu dent of agriculture in the United States who has given more time and study to this subject of alfalfa than has the writer. He has travelled over thousands of miles in various states of the Union where there was a chance to gain information has visited many dairies and other stock farms where alfalfa is largely used as S food for stock. and has also visited the leading great stock shows of the country where he has had ample opportunity to note the value of alfalfa as a food for stock.
 We are very anxious that our farmers along our line prosper, and to see them own more and better grades of stock, and to have this stock grown at the lowest possible cost. To this ei and for this
 
 free to all farmers on our line. After a creful s:rvey of soils soil condi- tions and climatic conditions, we are sat isfied that there is no other plant so well adapted for this purpose &s Is alfalfa and we are sure that this Is the plant to lead our farmers to successful stock growing and before stated it will solve the prob lem of cheap home grown pork in all our cotton producing states. There Is not | t1xx lf where alfalfa may not be successfully grown.
 We are often asked this question when speaking of the value of alfalfa. If alfalfa as you claim is such a valuable plant why is 1t not more generally known and why are not more of our farmers growing 1t? This is easy to answer and the answer Is that our farmers have not given the mat ter the attention that 1t deserves. They have not felt the need of growing alfalfa. Their time an energies have been given to other things or to the growing of other crops We may also answer this question In another way and by asking a ques- ton too. Now the value of rye for winter pasture as well as for It's grain feeding value has been known for years and why Is 1t that so few farmers are growing winter rye for pasture? Simply because they do not feel the importance of doing these things. But the time has come when these matters are beginning to receive the attention which they deserve. While we have tried to make this mat ter so plain that all who read may sue ceed, yet if there should come up any l thing which, the reader does not fully un- derstand and If further information Is wanted. this department will gladly fur nish such additional information as may be desired.