East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1914-06-05

AAt AalhAeI II a true prince, lnuee&
He has in times past been called a
"hayseed" and 'clodhopper" and
the follower of a "foothurner." He
has been the butt of many rude
Joke. But now the dude jokester has
TO take the dust of the big automobile
OF the successful gentleman of agri-
cultural pursuits and asks favors
from the same. He has to look to
the farming class for his very exist
ence. and this would be a sorry
world indeed should this class OF
workers be eliminated from the
earth.
In speaking of the farmer, how
ever. 1 do not wish to speak of the
species who barely tickle the earth
little, scatter a few seeds promiscu-
Cusly over the ground, and trust to
an Allwise and Kind Providence to
furnish in some miraculous manner
the bumper crop and the full gran
ary, but 1 do mean the agricultural
ist who, with brain and Drawn, stud
les the soil nlitions, selects the
proper crop, secures the best mate
rial In the way of healthy seed, ~cul-
tivates with persistence, sense and
Judgment, and mixes a little thought
with his work.
In this day and age of the world
all lines of work are studied from a
scientific standpoint and there is no
other line that better owes its prestige
to this very same research than does
agriculture. The farming of today is
not mere experiment as it has been
in times past but the farmer of to-
day knows, as soon as he has select
Ell his ground and decided upon the
crop, just what the results will be
AMI there is no other crop that Is
hettAr suited to the universal soil
conditions, more adapted to the va
rious needs. richer from a pecuniary
standpoint, than is Alfalfa.
Speaking from a standpoint his
torical, alfalfa is comparatively new
crop in the United States, especially
in the west and middle west; but il
has been grown to advantage in Eu-
rope and Asia for hundreds of years,
yes, you might say, thousands, for ii
was carried as a forage crop from
Persia into Greece in 490 B. c., and
introduced into Rome in LAG B. C.
From this time on it has proven its
worth and steadily increased in ter
ritory, extending over all kinds OF
countries, in all kinds of climates
and all kinds of SOIL showing its util
ity and need. 1t exceeds almost all
other crops in yield per acre, as
drought resister and as soil enrich
er.
AS a drought resister it has no
equal. For this very reason the peo-
pie of the Dakotas and middle west
have gone alfalfa mad" In that
ilIfated section of the country all the
Ills that can be visited upon the long
suffering farmer are certainly typical
Billiards in winter, lightning and
hailstorms, hurricanes and cyclones
chintz bugs and grasshoppers in sum-
mer, with an occasional hot wind
torrid enough to have eminated from
Vulcan's forge or the crater of We
suvius in action. But the people have
found that alfalfa is proof against al
these. Here in the fertile fields oi
eastern Oregon it is hard to find q
season when everything is literally
Lurnt up Kansas fashion. OF course
an occasional bad year comes bu
these bad years here would be called
reasonably good ones back there il
the sizzling heat.
In countries where wheat :
all the time, it is seen that the sol
tecomes poorer and poorer until !
has lost almost all its crop-producint
power, and it is necessary to give i
A rest for a time. This causes approx
| imately half the land in these section
to remain idle each year, causini
| thousands of dollars loss. This los
could be remedied and the profits in
creased if the farmers would onl
use this great natural remedy alfal
| ia. 1t has been tried in almost ever
section of the country and whereve
! the experiment has been made the re
| suits have been gratifying indeed. In
! stead of exhausting the soil, 1t en-
riches 1t by adding its worth of fer
tility. Wheat stubble and that of 9th
! er cereals Is sometimes plowed un
! der for the purpose of fertilization
| but even with this the soil has t
have a season in which to recuperatt
| In the case of alfalfa, however, it
entirely the reverse for after eac
crop the soil is richer and bette
tl:an before. This might seem a lit
tie peculiar but it is easily explained
| Upon the roots of each plant bacteri
| are formed, these gather the nitrogel
| from the air and cause it to be store'
near the surface of the ground, thu
when the ground is plowed 1t is rich
er in nitrogen than before. Alfalf'
roots also help to keep the soil II
good condition, they are long and g
deeply into the ground, keeping tn
ground loose and soft and able t
| old the moisture.
| Alfalfa makes a very good pastur
after the hay Is cut. This hay
we'll known for its merits. Slage
another use for this crop. This sub
ject is somewhat familiar in this par
OF the country, but the silo may b
used to great advantage.
Some men have tried alfalfa an
have failed or so nearly failed tina
they have become disheartened an
have decided to try some other Gro
that thav thtnk will do better This