Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1914-12-09
ALFALFA CULTURE IS
BUILDING FARMS AND
ENR|CH|NC FARMERS
Great Legume Proving Benefit
in South Dakota and in
Other Sections.

Mitchell. S. D.-Alfalfa! This is
the magic word that has caught the
a and that is holding the attention of
thousands of people in South Dakota
right now. alfalfa On Every Farm
Is the slogan heard in the great agri-
cultural compaign over the entire state.
Some of the most noted alfalfa ex-
perts have been showing the people
what alfalfa has done for other states
and what it will do for the farms in
South Dakota in enriching the land,
increasing the yield, and building up
the livestock industry.
The value of alfalfa on the farm can
hardly be Over-estimated. Eventually
every farm will have it's patch of al
ialta-from one acre to so or 100 acres.
Alfalfa is king of legumes. With the
proper preparation for it's planting. and
the proper cultivation n cutting of
n crop. alfalfa will flourish in almost
every section of the country. 1t sur
wives the cold winters of the north
western plains: 1T stands longest
against the drOughts that sometimes
blast the grain crops in the central
west; and 1T grows luXuriantly under
the warm sun and .plenteous rains of
III southern states.
1t is through alfalfa that the worn
out farms in the eastern states will be
redeemed for further usefulness. Alfal-
Ia Is increasing and will continue to
increase the value of thousands of
farms throughout the central west and
h northwest. No farmer can afford
to be without alfalfa, for it not only
cnriches the land. but the farmer who
lives on the land. Whenever it Is sue
cessfully planted it means Il new era
of farming for that farm. Its growth
is SO abundant that more live stock is
necessary to consume the alfalfa hay.
OF course. Il good many farmers sell
kNn No Iny ~vJ f-r - l,s-l1 -rsD
but those who feed it to their chickens,
dairy cows. beef cattle and hogs get Il
far higher price for 1t i'm the end than
the farmers who sell theirs in the mar
ket.
It's the Wonder Plant.
Alfalfa is the wonder plant. because
II farms two farms that are not reached
10y grain crOpS-thc farm down in the
earth below the surface and the nvis-
lDle farm above the surface. the air.
The alfalfa roots grow down into the
ground six, eight. 10. Is and ever 20
feet to moisture. Oftentimes why dry
weather has shriveled the corn and
wheat n burned up the grasses and
clover alfalfa remains green and fresh.
The long roots not only take up the
moisture from far below the surface.
but they bring to the surface lime,
phosphorus and potash. and store them
IN the upper soil for the use of other
crops. Then. when the roots decay they
furnish vegetable matter to the soil.
and they act as drain pipes. bringing
down the rain water from the surface
or the ground to the millions OF little
reservoirs. where it is stored for future
months. Alfalfa roots. more than any
others. Increase the water holding ca
paclty of the soil. But alfalfa roots do
u great deal more than this. The little
bacteria that cling to them are con-
Etantly pumping nitrogen into the soil
and what soil is there that does not
need more nitrogen? AS a nitrogen
gatherer. alfalfa far surpasses any or
binary clover. Alfalfa is not only tho
most valuable crop SO far as the money
profits are concerned. but it's value as
a soil builder is ever greater.
AS a food for live stock. alfalfa ia
supreme. Its protein is equal to that
OF wheat bran. and protein builds up
the muscle and bone of the animal.
Corn puls on the fat. but alfalfa makes
the growth. Alfalfa and corn together
make the best balanced ration that as
yet has been discovered by scientific
farmers.