Imperial Valley press., 1914-03-05
CALIFORNIA is IN
ALFALFA LEADERSHIP

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Pacific Rural Press: California ha!
two main points of interest in thu
wonderful advancement of alfalfa as
forage plant for North Americs
during the last half century:
First, the relation of alfalfa to the
agricultural development of Califor-
mia.
Second, the Importance of Califor'
MAS gift of alfalfa in the development
of animal industries throughout the
North American continent.
What Alfalfa has done for Califor-
nia-Of the debt which California
owes to alfalfa there is no exact
measurement. because the recent
progress of the plant in our agricul-
ture simply outruns the statisticians.
The records of the United States CEN
sus of 1910 show that in the preced-
ing wear alfalfa was grown on 49,
9O4 farms, and the acreage of it was
asa, ,194 acres; the product as hay and
forage, 1,639,707 tons valued at S13,-
0SS,53O Since that date we have had
four full growing easons--durlng
which settlement, irrigation extension,
and subdivision of farming lands have
proceeded more rapidly than during
any preceding decade in our history.
Estimates of the advancement of al
falfa since the census report of 1909
vary between so to 100 per cent of in
creased area. 1t is certainly safe to
estimate the standing of alfalfa as a
California product in 1918 to be an
acreage of three quarters of million
acres and an annual product value of
100000 in the field where it grows,
either for hay or pasturage. The mar
ket value would. obviously. be much
greater. This field valuation includes
a considerable acreage of young alfal-
ia. and is reduced thereby. A conserv-
ative estimate of the field value of the
annual product of a good stand of ma
ture alfalfa would be $40 per acre. and
the continued profitable life of the
plant on deep, open land, we'll irri-
gated and cared for may extend to 20
years. though it is usually an advan-
tage to plow up at shorter intervals.
either to get the advantage of rota-
lion and the vastly greater product
of other crops for which alfalfa pre-
pares the land or to replace the old
plants with younger and more vigor-
Gus ones.
In California the alfalfa plant is
now largely the basis of the follow
ing products of the state, as reported
by the United States department of
orl b1- tho Coli
fornia state dairy bureau:
Dairy (product 1922 IS 32,16O,O7S
Livestock (on farms) -. 123,024,653
Poultry Ton farms) -. 3,S44,526
Eggs (product 1907 -. 10,263,6 ,694
Honey (product 1922 -. 729,793
1t may seem strange at first to
credit eggs and honey to alfalfa, but
things are rapidly moving that way.
The egg product in the alfalfa grow,
ing districts is increasing rapidly, and
even in the coast regions, where altal-
ia is little grown, alfalfa hay and al
falfa meal enter largely into poultry
rations AS for honey, which was for
merly made on wild bee pasturage, the
chief products come now from the al
falfa fields of the irrigated valleys.
Without undertaking to elaborate
the theme to WEAKNESS, it may be
briefly and confidently declared:
First-That no single plant what
ever (either herb, vine or tree) is
producing so great value in California
as the alfalfa plant.
Second-That no single plant comes
so quickly to the home makers help
on irrigated land, or on suitable land
under rainfall, than alfalfa, and none
assumes so many forms of value.
Third-That no plant, save vine or
tree, endures so long in profitable SER
vice.
Fourth-That no plant is so good to
fit land for every crop known to the
state
What California has done for North
America in alfalfa-Now that the in
terest in alfalfa covers the United
States, and the plant is either estab-
lished or undergoing trial nearly ev-
erywhere from the Gulf of Mexico to
the Canadas, it is pertinent to point
out not only California's leadership
in the utilization of the plant, but the
effect which California'S demonstra-
ton has exerted everywhere.
About sixty years ago, gold seek
ers were coming to California by all
available routes, and food supplies
were ordered from all the markets of
the world. Either through the travel
for gold Or the trade for food, there
came to California knowledge of a
strong growing perennial clover in
Chile which was new to American
eyes, and though California was not
then generally recognized as wonder
fully endowed for agriculture, there
were few pioneers who saw the
truth and made haste to take advan-
tage of it. What seemed to them lit
tie less than a calamity was that the
rich fields which grew grass so tall
in the rainy season that riders on
horseback and grizzly bears could not
see each other until actually encoun-
tered. should be bare of verdure dur
ing the long summer and autumn heat
which the grand valley oaks and syca-
morcs showed to be so good for To-
r Il