The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1910-11-17
DRY FARM ALFALFA
Expected to Do Much Towards
Benefiting Crops in
West.
Roots Of Plant co Deeply Into Soil,
Improving Its Texture and Giving
II Greater Capacity to Absorb
and Hold Water.

Prof. A. NJ. Ten Eyck, superinten-
dent Of the Fort Hays Branch Expert.
ment station, in a recent address de-
livered before the Western Kansas
Farmers Conference, spoke at length
on drouth-resisting crops. In speak
ing of alfalfa he said:
The second great crop Of central
and western Kansas, and also in some
sections of Nebraska, Oklahoma and
Texas, is alfalfa. To be sure, the crop
is most successfully grown in those
counties in Kansas which have sufii-
cient rainfall to produce good corn
crops, and, in fact, these two crops,
corn and alfalfa, At well together,
both in their relation to the soil and
as a combination feed for stock of all
kinds. Wherever 1t thrives well,
there is no other crop grown which
will produce so much forage of so high
feeding value as alfalfa. Throughout
central Kansas four cuttings of hay
are usually harvested each season and
a total yield of four tons per acre in
a season is considered only a fair
crop.
As yet, alfalfa is not grown exten.
sively in the western counties of the
state, except in localities where irri-
cation is practiced, but the crop is
gradually creeping up the river val
leys and into the creek bottoms, each
year pushing its area Of successful
culture 4 little farther west. and 1t
has eveIl succeeded on the uplands in
NAM of the counties, where it was
not thought possible to grow It few
years ago. The method OF planting
the crop in rows and then cultivating
promises to make this crop safe and
profitable one in those somi-arid re-
gions where the soil is suitable, to al
falfa growth.
Alfalfa starts slowly, and 1t is rath-
er difficult, especially in the more uu-
favorable locations, to get stand, but
when the plants are once established
they are extremely hardy, surviving
drouth and hot winds more success
fully than almost any other crop. Dur
ing periods of extreme drouth alfalfa
does not grow much. Sometimes only
one cutting is produced in a season
on the uplands in western Kansas, but
the plant through its deep and exten.
sive root-system is able to get sufii'
cient supply of water to sustain life
and when rain comes 1t revives and
grows anew.
At the Kansas station alfalfa roots
have been traced to . depth of over
nine feet, while at the Colorado Elk
pertinent Station DR.. w. p. Headden
has washed out the roots of an old
alfalfa plant to the depth of nearly
twelve feet. Various reports have
been made, without good authority, OF
finding alfalfa, roots at even greater
depths. It is without doubt one OF
the deepest roofing plants grown or
the farm.
| believe that alfalfa will do more
for western agriculture in the mex
80 years than all the other crops
which farmers may be able to grow in
this region. The soil of western Kan
sas and of much of the western plains
is usually rich in the mineral elements
of plant food, but as stated before, Il
is often lacking in humus, which be
comes especially noticeable II the lant
has been farmed continuously tC
wheat for a few years. BY growing
alfalfa 1t is possible to increase thu
supply OF humus in the soil, and thu
4, roots Of the plants penetrating deel
into the subsoil disintegrate and deep
zen the soil, and altogether greatly i'm
prove its texture, giving 1t greater ca
pacity to absorb and hold water. Th'
beneficial effect on the soil of growing
alfalfa is only incidental to the rapi'
introduction OF the crop throughou
the west. The great value of the crol
as a money-maker is the main facto
which is introducing 1t into the agri
culture OF the central west. Wher,
alfalfa can be successfully markete,
or fed, no other crop grown in tn
west will yield so great net prof
per acre in series OF years.