The Columbus weekly dispatch., 1908-10-22
ALFALFA IN NOXUBEE.


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Five years ago there were hardly
ten acres of alfalfa grown in Soxu-
bee county Now between 1000 and
1900 acres are devoted TO its culti-
zation. and there is every prospect
that next year will see this acreage
doubled Those who have grown al
falfa are conservatively enthusiastic
over the possibilities of the plant on
our lands. The late Gen Stephen D
Lee was greatly impressed with the
value of alfalfa, and three years ago
planted a small acreage on his plan
tation in the Cliftonville section. Be-
fore his death last summer he had
125 acres in alfalfa, and in pursu-
ance of his plans his son and heir.
Prof Blewitt Lee, of Chicago. will
double that acreage this fall, and an
nually enlarge the amount OF land
devoted TO its cultivation. There Is
( good reason for all this great in
crease, and in this article it will be
attempted TO show it, briefly and
without exaggeration or color
Alfalfa, as is well known. is one
of the most valuable of all food pro-
duets for horses, cattle and hogs.
Moreover. it is one of the most valRa-
bic of all legumes-the plants which
at once build up the land and yield
profitable crop. The opinion OF
local agriculturists is that alfalfa
will increase the yield of following
crops enormously This is well illus
trated on a well known prairie plan
tation. The finest black upland corn
In the county is on a cut there which
was in alfalfa for the three preeed-
ing years; its yield in corn this year
is 200 per cent greater than similar
adjoining lands and nearly three
times greater than its product before
it ran in alfalfa. In addition, the
heavy rainfall of the early summer,
followed by the drouth in August.
which so cut down the yield OF the
corn crop generally, affected this
lands corn crop very little. The diff
ferent aspect of this field from its
neighbors was most noticeable Re-
member, too. that all the while IL
was in alfalfa it was yielding a fine
return.
AS a stock food alfalfa has no su-
perior, and in our county it has de-
creased the feeding expense OF some
of its growers nearly fifty per cent.
For instance, work stock formerly
fed a peck and a half OF corn each
day. with roughness, are now kept
in first-class work condition on one
half peck of corn, and alfalfa costing
less than half as much as the peck
of corn saved. 1t is estimated that
month was saved on each head of
work stock during the work season
Brood mares, colts and idle work
stock are given no corn at all and
keep in most excellent condition on
alfalfa alone.
Without damaging, or sensibly de-
creasing the yield of hay, from two
to three hogs per acre can be grazed
on an alfalfa field, especially if turn
ed in on it after May. One grower
fed and matured for market between
ninety ard one hundred head of hogs
on ten acres of alfalfa and at the
same time gathered fair crops of hay
from the same ten acres. In this
case the hogs were turned in in the
month of February.
The cost of planting alfalfa runs
from seven to ten dollars per acre.
according to how carefully the land
is pre- pared. This expense, however.
need 10 be borne but once. 1t needs
no rep1anting, once it obtains stand
on suitable land. There is field
in East Mississippi, now sixteen years
old. as fresh ad vigorous and thick
as when first planted. After the first
year, practically the only expense is
the harvesting of the hay. 1t costs
more to prepare the land, plant, cul-
tivate and gather corn and cotton
than it does to prepare the land,
plant, cultivate and gather the alfalfa
the first year, while after that year
the main expense is eliminated in
the alfalfa, but is of annual recur-
renee with the cotton or corn. On
suitable land the returns from alfalfa
are much surer and greater than cot
ton or corn. From four 10 six cut
tings a year are harvested. produc-
ing from three to five tons per acre.
worth, comparatively, between fifty
and seventy-five dollars.
Alfalfa is the master of crab grass
and Johnson grass. During the lat