American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1910-10-22
DKY FARM ALFALFA
expected to Do Much towards
Benefiting Crops in
West.
"'o'' OF Plant Go Deeply Into Soil.
improving Its Texture and elvIno
Greater Capacity to Absorb
n Hold Water.

] rioi. A. NJ. Ten Eyck, superinten
ueht Oh the Fort Hays Branch Exner,
meht station, In a recent addrese do
nVefeo before the Western Kansas
mer Conference, spoke at Length
on drouth-resisting crops. In sneak
ing of alfalfa he said;
Inc second great crop of centra,
and western Kansas, and also in some
sections OF Nebraska. Oklahoma and
ie1as' Is alfalfa. To be sure. the crop
is most successfully grown in those
counties In Kansas which have sniff.
Client rainfall to produce good corn
crops and, in fact, these two crops,
corn n alfalfa, fit well together.
ooth In their relation to the soil and
as a combination feed for stock of all
KINDS Wherever it thriyes well
there is no other crop grown which
VIII produce SO much forage of so high
Zee ing 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.
siVe.y i'll 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 ard into the creek bottoms. each
year pushing its area of successful
culture a little farther west, and il
has even succeeded on the uplands in
many OF the counties, where it was
thought possible to grow it a few
years ago. The method of planting
the crop in row and then cultivating
promises to make this crop a safe and
profitable one in those semi-arid re-
gtons where the soil Is suitable TO al
falfa growth.
Alfalfa starts slowly, and it is rath-
difficult, especially in the more I'M
favorable locations, to get a stand, but
when the plants are once established
hey are extremely hardy, surviving
and hot winds more success
ully than almost any other crop. Dur
ng periods of extreme drouth alfalfa
Ices not grow much. Sometimes only
ne cutting Is produced in a season
n the uplands in western Kansas, but
he plant through its deep and extern
i've root-system is able to get a sufi-
lent supply Of water to sustain life,
nd when rain comes it ~revives and
anew.
At the Kansas station alfalfa roots
ave been traced to d depth OF ove
inc feet, while at tie Colorado Ex-
eriment Station DIR. w. P. Healden
as washed out the roots of an old
Ifalfa plant to the depth of nearly
yelve feet. Various reports have ]
zen made, without good authority, of |
ndfng alfalfa roots at eve greater
epths. 1t Is without doubt n of
e deepest roofing plants grown on c
e farm. c
| believe that alfalfa will do more
r western agriculture In the next
years than all the other crops
nich farmers may be able to grow in :
is region. The soil OF western Kan :
s and of much of the western plains =
usually rich in the mineral elements :,
plant food, but as stated before. it :.
often lacking in humus, which be- :,
mes especially noticeable if the land y
8 been farmed continuously to
eat for a few years. BY growing
alta 1t is possible to increase the
1ply of humus in the soil. and the
ITS of the plants penetrating deep .
O the subsoil disintegrate and deep
the soil, and altogether greatly i'm +,
its texture, giving it greater ca v,
city to absorb and hold water. The
effect on the soil OF growing q
is only incidental to the rapid ii
reduction Of the crop throughout
!, west. The great value of the crop g;
a money-maker is the main factor h,
ich is introducing 1t into the agri-
|ture of the central west. Where q,
alta can be successfully marketed RI
fed. no other crop grown In the
st will yield SO great a net profit c,
: acre In a series of years. bl