The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-01-03
WESTERN NATURE STUDIES
BY J. II. PAUL.
FIFTY FACTS ABOUT ALFALFA.

falfa; and where the soil contains them
in limited numbers, the alfalfa plants
soon wither and die. Throughout this
state the ground is sufficiently supplied
with the alfalfa bacteria; but there are
many localities i'm the east where they
are present in so limited a number that
il seems impossible to get catch OF
alfalfa that Will succeed in surviving
the first winter.
Best Adapted to Our Land.
Throughout the plateau region. WITH
out the trouble and expense of inocu-
iating the soil, alfalfa yields from three
to five cuttings in a season. every ton
of it equal in feeding value to ton OF
wheat bran or TO two tons OF the best
prairie hay.
If weeds partially kill il out. the al
falfa may be plOwed up and the field
rotated with corn and wheat: for the
alfalfa acts as a fertilizer for other
crops ms cad Of exhausting the natural
fertility OF the soil. After valuable hay
crops have for five years in succession
been removed from alfalfa fields. the
plants will still have been worth more
to the soil as fertilizer than fifty loacs
of manure or several tons of CONNER
cial fertilizers per acre
What Its Long Roots Do for Us.
The abundant root development of al
falfa and the great depth TO which the
roots extend when once established en-
able the plant to secure food and rnois-
ture several feet below the surface. Al
faifa extends its roots to the depth OF
twenty feet and over. and is one of our
greatest soil renovatOrs. DR. William F.
Hpaddpn pE 1,n
station estimates that the ferjiIzlng
value of the stubble and six and one
half inches of alfalfa roots plowed I'M
der is about $50 per acre. while the
stubble and the entire root system is
not less than S35 per acre The roots
Improve also the physical condition or
filth of the soil.
When the land is plowed to destroy
the alfalfa the large, long roots decay,
forming humuS, which aids in loosen
ing the soil, giving il greater capacity
10 mold moisture; while the openings IN
the soil left by the roots form a system
of channels for the pentration of AR
and water into the hard subsoiI of
heaVy clay lands. From a study of the
root system of alfalfa, one cannot fail
TO appreciate the beneficial effects
which such crop should have in dis
and loosening the haro
subsoil characteristic of some
lands. Drawing its water and mineral
plant food from the deeper subsofI. al
falfa is drought resistant crop. and.
receiving its nitrogen from the air. II
actually increases the supply of this
plant food in the soil by the
cropping of its leaves and by the decay
Of its tubercles and roots.
Its Nearest Relative.
Sweet clover. a well known intro
1uced weed, which grows to the height
II i've or six feet, is one of the esse1;-
.ial alfalfa bacteria distributors. When
in eastern farmer is in doubt as 10
whether or not his land contains the
proper bacteria, he can successfully in
'culate his fields by scattering on them
'oli from an alfalfa field or from a field
where sweet clover has grown. East
srn farmers who have not alfalfa or
sweet clover near at hand from which
20 get infected soil in large amounts.
secure a sack of 100 pounds of alfalfa
'oii from the experiment station or |
Elsewhere, and scatter it on about eight |
n ten square rods of the field Jpsm
Vnleh II is desired to SOW the alfalfa |
eed.
The Plant Described.
Though alfalfa is Familiarity known |
lere to most people, the following de- |
cription may be of interest. The writ |
rs nature students have ascertained /
rom class observation in the field that |
.lfaffa tMedicago sativs) is an upright.
much branched. smooth or slightly pu- /
'escent perennial plant. 1ne to three
Get high. The branches arise from a |
ather woody base, which crowns a long
ap-root. This root with its branches
nay extend three to twelve, or, in rare
asses, even fifteen feet deep, rendering
his species very drought resistant on |
ccount of its being able to bring I'D
Fater from the subsoil far beyond the
each of ordinary plants. The leaves
re arranged alternately on the stem
nd are trifcliate or three-parted. eacn
art being slightly broader above the
Middle and usually tapering each way.
Though the apex may be frequently
ounded. blunt or even slightly
etched, ending in one or several soft.
harp points. The pea-like flowers.
arying in tint from pale, almost white.
0 deep reddish purple, are arranged in
ather elongated loose clusters borne on
he ends of the many branches. The
DDS are spirally twisted through one
three complete curves. forming a coli
ne-fourth to one-fifth inch in diameter.
MS pod contains from one to eight
eeds- The seeds are kidney-shaped
bout one-eighth of an inch long and a
tile more than half as wide. From an
grlcuiturai standpoint this species IS
y far the most important. being prob
bly, the most widely grown and mos,
aluable forage plant in the world. In
tab. it is perhaps the most valuable.
II points considered, of any crop we
liSe
The Chief Varieties.
There are American, German. Ara
ian, Peruvian and Turkestan types OF
lis plant, each with special features
nd values
sand lucern is variety that is said
be superior on dry land. but Inferior
nder irrigation, as compared with or
mary alfalfa. Its flowers range from
lush purple to lemon yellow, and if is
ore spreading and bushy in habit than
the common alfalfa.
TurkeStan alfalfa is lower than tne
ind familiar here. has narrower ana
lore hairy leaves and smaller Stems.
5 chief distinction is that it is able 10
ithStdnd extremes of drvDess baaf ~