The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1907-05-16
Alfalfa For Che South.

The interest in this plant, not only !
IN the Western States, and in the fer
tile sections Of the North, but all over |
the South is so great that everybody
who has had any experience with it is
simply flooded for information as to
its value, the proper method for
growing it, and its p~racticability.
For this reason the writer wishes to-
give a very brief talk on the sub
iect, hoping that it may be helpful to
some. Here L wish to tell something
of its value, and the practicability of
growing it in any State in the Union.
Briefly, 1 think that there is no
State where it may not be grown,
nor where it will not pay as we'll or
better than almost any other farm
crop.
During a recent trip through the
South, I was greatly impressed with
the possibilities for money making, in
a great many ways, and one of the
principal ones through this plant. All
over the Southern States there is
and on limestone soil, that to-day
may be bought for from SIS to $50
per acre. Much of the cheapest of it
is on limestone soil, and is ven now
growing as much or more alfalfa
than in Ohio, that we can grow on
our 800 land. The market for the
hay was even better than we have.
AS a single instance a friend, ]. lines
Thornton, of Watsonia, Ala, has 200
acres in a body that averages him
foul tons per acre, as well as we "a
do here, and he secures $14 per ton
for the hay, with no. trouble at all to
find a market. This year the hay is
worth much more, but the average is
from $13 to $14. The land that this
is grown on is anything but high
priced, even at $50 per acre it will
nearly pay for itself each year., and
to my mind is really worth a good
deal over 500 per acre. Does this
possibility suggest anything to you?
When this cheap land may be made
to produce in this way, more than
paying for itself, may be, each year,
is there not a good prospect for pros
perity, spelled with a capital? Prob
ably l need not mention the fact that
whereas cotton, tobacco, corn Or any
grain exhausts the soil, and compels
the heavy use of fertilizers alfalfa
adds nitrogen to the soil, and grad
ually makes it more and more fertile,
the longer it is left in the more fertile
the soil becomes. Probably I do not
need to mention, either, thai while
any other kind of meadow requires
renewing every few years at the best,
alfalfa should not be plowed up
oftener hal once in from six to
twenty vars.
word as to its feeding value. It
analyses practically as rich as best
wheat bran. By the analysis it is
worth much more per ton than any
other grass Or clover, excepting the
little white clover, which is not cut
for hay. Furthermore, it is very
palatable, so much so that cattle will
leave corn to eat it. Men who have
fed large quantities of the other
cloVers and different sorts of hay, IN
Guiding ourselves, consider one ton of
alfalfa hay worth at least-a half
more than any other form Of hay
found in the United States. This ap-
plies, whether fed to cattle, horses,
sheep, swine or poultry. For pas
ture we do not recommend it, except
for horses and hogs. Where it is
easy to grow we consider it a
bonanza, and where it is difficult to
grow we think it worth any amount
of work in making conditions proper
50 that it will succeed.-Chas. E.
Wing, in Southern C%ultivator.