The Florida agriculturist., 1907-10-16
How Alfalfa Helped to Make Kansas.


to induce our readers to try alfalfa.
1t has often been sown in this state,
without success, but there have also
been enough successful paintings to
prove that it can be grown If the
proper conditions are provided. You
can hardly have any doubt about its
being a paying crop where it does
we'll; but we copy an article from the
Twentieth Century Farmer which
ought to convince the most skeptical.
The author, Mr.. F. D. Coburn, is
probably the only man living who
ever refused an appointment as United
States Senator, his reason being that
he preferred to do what he could to
help advance the interests of the
farmers of his state. He says:
Kansas is unique in many things,
but in none more than in the COM
manding position it occupies in rela-
ton to alfalfa growing. Its develop
ment in this industry has been one
of the marvels of it's prolific agricul-
ture, and with alfalfa, as with winter
wheat. no other state is it's equal IN
it's area and production. The alfalfa
field of Kansas now approx1mates
nearly 10000 acres, and but three
cultivated crops exceed its annual
area, viz: wheat, corn and oats. In
com bination with these, alfalfa fur
.nishes Kansas in abundance with,
perhaps, the best and cheapest ratlons
anywhere available for the malnte-
nance of their live stock, for the ex-
cellence of which they are famed.
The credulity Of the stranger to al
falfa, however fair minded, is 1nvar1a-
blv taxed by a recitation of the truth
about this wonderful plant; even the
facts cut in two leave him in per-
turbed state of doubt as to the vera
citv of the narrator, but thoroughly
convincing are the experiences OF
those who are actually it's growers.
It is a perennial blessing to those
who are so fortunate as to have an
area devoted to its culture, yielding
annually, whether the season be wet
or dry, it's several cuttings of hay
unsurpassed in tonnage and quality,
it is indeed esteemed as benetact1on,
and doubly appreciated IN those por-
tions where it fourishes but where
the clover does not prosper. An
other feature, too, that the wide
awake farmer does not overlook or
minimize is the improving effects of
it's roots, restoring and enrich
ing rather than depicting the fertility
of the soil in which they grow, to
the great benefit of other succeeding
crops. AS is we'll known, alfalfa is
one of the oldest forage plants, but
to the husbandry of the American
farmer it is Of but recent acquisition.
Kansans were among the foremost
to correctly estimate it's worth, and
its widespread introduction in the
Sunhower state has been one of the
most important factors in increasing
bank deposits and the per capita
wealth.
The increase in its area in Kansas
affords some, although not adequate,
idea of the growing appreciation in
which the plant is held. It is six
teen years since the crop was first
thought of enough Importance to
chronicle its statistics, when the
enumerators of the board of agricul-
ture returned the area for the state
as 34,384 acres. This year (1oo7) the
area in alfalfa is 742,14o acres, Or an
increase of 2o.7 per cent over the
area of 1906, 1872 per cent over the
area of 1901. Alfalfa can be grown
in every county in the state, and Io3
of the los counties report greater or
less areas devoted to it in 1907 Of
the 1o3, nlnety-two counties show in
creaSec aU0reCat tin0 T2O 26O acres