The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-11-12
ALFALFA IS KING
Supreme as Nutritious Feed for
All Farm Animals.
so-caIIed New" Glover Is as Old as
Human History and Grew in Gen.
trail Asia, Where Races of Eu-
rope Originated.

In the farm world the question O
greatest interest in recent years has
been the feeding value of alfalfa. Ir
spite of much incredulity and some
prejudice the plant has fully proven
its superior profitableness to the
! farmers of the western states, where
/ irrigation is practiced.
AS a highly nutritious feed fol-
horses, cattle, sheep, hogs and poul
| try-as pasture-as means OF Civ
| ing fertility to the soil-alfalfa has
within a few years succeeded in many
states of the Union to the rank OF
| fodder king. And it's realm increases
every year.
This so-called new" clover is as old
as human history. 1t grew in central
Asia, where the races of Europe orig
mated The ancient Greeks and Ro-
mans knew and valued it. The Moors
introduced it to Spain; hence its
Arabic name, alfalfa, meaning 1.-The
Lest fodder" The Spaniards brought
1t to the Pacific coast--one debt at
least which America owes to Spain.
Even on the Atlantic coast, where it
is most positively looked on as new
it has been cultivated in small way
for $50 years in New York, Pennsyl
pania and the Carolinas.
Once successfully planted, alfalfa
grows with wonderful luXuriance, and
as many as ] cuttings Of it in one
season are made in California. 1t
will grow in most soiIs-on the sage
brush desert of Nevada or the clay
and gravel of New York. 1t is grown
profitaby in almost every state and
territory of the United States-Maine,
New Hampshire and Alaska being all
that are left in the experimental"
stage. And it will grow season after
sowed 45 years ago
The Wisconsin experiment station
says that one acre of alfalfa yields
as much protein tthe milk and meat
prcducer) as three acres of clover or
nine OF timothy or ~ of bronze grass.
Alfalfa is worth SIS to $50 on the mar
ket and $50 to $50 as feed for stock
Land in Nebraska and western Kan
sas that few years ago was con-
sldered barren is paying SIS to S25
An acre in alfalfa. Alfalfa land in
the south rents at SIP to s15 an acre.
All kinds of stock relish and thrive
On alfalfa hay. Feeders in the west
claim to be able to put fat cattle on
The market 20 to 80 per cent cheaper
With alfalfa as balance of feed, than
IN corn alone. Careful feeding tests
1t the Utah station yielded this re-
'ulta To produce 7O5.61 pounds of beef
lere are required 1O,OS3 pounds of
shredded corn fodder, or 1860
POUNDS of red clover hay, or s,575
pounds Of timothy hay, but only 1882
If alfalfa hay.
The Kansas agricultural station re-
'orts. a case where a dairyman main
aimed ten mich COWS for whole
without any. grain, on two
lcres of alfalfa, cut and fed to them
resh three times a day. Cows pas
ured on alfalfa improve in the glossy
of their hair and in yield Of
milk. Raising and feeding alfalfa is
aid to add Is to 80 per cent. to the
'rofits of dairying over the use of
my other feedstuff that can be raised
II bought.
The alfalfa plant has an extraor-
linary root development. The roots.
trike from five to 20 feet deep,
With innumerable branch rootlets,
the soil in every direction.
hey store up nitrogen, the openings
n the soil giving passageway to the
ir and rain.
In the west and southwest alfalfa
as been powerful mortgage raiser"
n California, Montana, Colorado,
Kansas and Nebraska it has helped
realty in solving the problem Of
heap meat production. Where irri-
alton is practiced, six or. more cut
ings are the rule and nine are com
non. I,