The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1909-09-10
TWICE IS NUcH OF T-E FORAGE
PLANT AS ANY OTHER STATE.
AAs MILLION ACRES
THEY'VE LEARNED THE ART
Ano NJ. coeurn Says tina; Not Only
IS the Lesgme Of Great Value as
Stock Food. but u Enrehes the
Ground as well.

Topeka Sept. 9.-According 10 r d.
Coburn. secretary OF the state board
of agriculture. Kansas now leads the
states iu the union in the amount OF
alfalfa grown In fact the state has
nearly twice as much land In this
crop as ts closest competitor. one
million acres OF land are now IN alfal.
"a. a gain Of ll4.30o. or l3 per cent
acres over last year In speaking OF
alfalfa and It's advantages for Kan
sas Mr. Coburn said today.
u has been only a few years ago
since alfalfa was looked upon as a
more OF less doubtful experiment tn
the agriculture OF the Sunflower state.
and owing 20 the precouceiyed notions
OF many that the crop was one that
required irrigation. farmers We're
backward about giving the plant a
trial To the rank and file It's adapt
ability and usefulness first had 20 be
proved Skoptcism as % It's merits.
however. was early removed by object
lessons iu various neighborhoods. and
70, value soon was demonstrated.
Progressive farmers began sowing
greater or less areas, and at first with
varying success. Many who tried u
once pronounced II a failure. but on
same farms new fields OF excellent
alfalfa are flourishng and making
their owners rich
Experience has brought a better
understanding OF proper methods OF
preparing the seed bed sowing and
harvesting. and correspondingly more
satisfactory results are obtained.
Gradually the sowing has been ex.
tendod-a field here -ru a field there
explorers OF the alfalfa frontier.
The interest has grown and the con.
tag'on spread TO such extent that all
portions Of the state are infected,
and the areas devoted TO this incom.
parble legume are being steadily in.
creased.
Only twice In its onward march has
progress been checked. this in 1900
and 1904 The decreases. too. We're
perhaps due to an enlightened agri-
culture. wherein the rotation OF crops
Is given larger consideration, with
d alfalfa a. the pivot or the plan Wide.
awake farmers are more extensively
making available for other crops the
fertility stored In the soil by alfalfa
roots. and In the two years mentioned
the fields plowed up for such pur.
poses more than offset the new SOW.
: ings Being a soil enricher, its areas
are always subject 20 variation; a de-
creased area al any time does not
necessarily mean lack OF interest In
alfalfa. but on the other hand may
suggest only appreciation Of It's fer.
' tilizlng values Every year Kansas
farmers plow up alfalfa that they may
turn into money through increased
Yields OF other succeeding crops, the
ID abundant supply Of nitrogen from the
air stored In the soil by alfalfa's
roots.
Considered as TO its numerous cut
tings OF rich hay each season. It's
elaborate system OF deeply penetrat.
ing roots, and unusual drought resist
ing powers. It's long life and as fer
tilizer. alfalfa Is truly a wonderful
plant. and most important factor In
agriculture
Others. far outside the commercial
alfalfa growing districts, are coming
TO appreciate alfalfa, particularly COW
owners and typical OF these is an ex.
tenslve dairyman OF Southern Ohio,
supplying milk from hundreds OF cows
TO the Cincinnati market. who reports
} that he had tried all kinds OF hay
for winter feeding but nothing equals
Kansas alfalfa"
The call for alfalfa constantly be
] comes more insistent and from re-
mote unexpected quarters, but the
supply Is inadequate. Several years
. ago the market exchanges did not
/. list alfalfa hay as an article of com,
; merce but after conditions forced It's
> recognition, its product has ranged
, higher in the daily quotations than
% has any other hay. The use OF Il
, on the farms where grown is constant.
ly increasing as well
S That Kansans appreciate this stu
T. alton Is shown by the increased areas
4 devoted 20 alfalfa. as revealed by the
statistics annually compiled by the
state board OF agriculture. Alfalfa
: seems 10 find in Kansas the condi'
: tions congenial TO It's best growth and
. development. Realizing this. Kansans
} are taking advantage OF their oppor'