3Itn'. 2, 1908.] Ayriculturcd Gazette of N.S. IF. 241 



bordering Nebraska, has nearly 49,001) acres in alfalfa, by far the largest 

 acreage of any one county ; Smith, its neighbour on the west, ranks- 

 second with 30,939 acres; and Butler, south and east of these, comes third 

 with 30,355 acres. Other counties having over 20,000 acres each are 

 Cloud, [Mitchell, Phillips, Republic, all nortli-central counties, and Sedg- 

 wick, adjoining Butler. The largest gains in area in the year are like- 

 wise reported by Jewell and Smith, of 7,027 and 6,258 acres respectively, 

 followed by Mitchell with an increase of 5,451 acres, Washington with 

 4,991 acres, Wabaunsee 4,988 acres, Sedgwick 4,G13 acres, and Republic 

 4,029 acres. 



Kansas, situated as she is, bordering the Missouri River on the east and 

 extending 400 miles westward toward the Rocky Mountains, presents a 

 wide variety in soils and other conditions, but alfalfa is all the way success- 

 fully grown, thus demonstrating its general adaptability. The farmers 

 of ijractically all portions are annually sowing enlarged areas, as is indi- 

 cated by the county statistics. For example, of the more western coun- 

 ties, Wichita and Stevens, in the second tier from Colorado, report gains 

 in area in the past year of 576 per cent, and 633 per cent, respectively; 

 Clark has increased its area 112 per cent., Pratt 104 jjer cent., Stafford 

 142 per cent., and Rush 95 per cent. ; of the eastern counties may be men- 

 tioned Leavenwortli, on the Missouri River, wliich enlarged its area 158 

 l^er cent, in the past year; Johnson gained 178 per cent., Bourbon 241 per 

 cent. ; over 100 per cent, was gained in Brown, and 98 per cent, in Jackson. 



In 1891 there were nine counties having 1,000 or more acres; this year 

 there are eighty-one. In 1891 there was one county, Finney, having over 

 5,000 acres; now there are forty-four such counties, twenty-nine of which 

 have 10,000 acres and upwards. 



In Kansas, alfalfa growing was a j^relude to i^rosperity, and is the 

 steadfast promotor of her progress. From comparative obscurity it has 

 steadily risen to the foremost rank of the hay plants, and has already 

 resulted in (juadrupling the State's output of tame hay. In 1890 the 

 value of the tame-ha}- crop was 2,000,000 dollars, wliile that of 1905 was 

 worth over 10,500,000 dollars. The annual value of products of live stock 

 in that time has been practically doubled, and alfalfa has made of Kansas, 

 if not first, one of the foremost States in dairying — a most desirable branch 

 of husbandry that, intelligently and generally followed, well-nigh ensures 

 continued and enlarged prosperity. x4.1falfa, it seems, supplied the one 

 requisite Providence failed to provide in establishing the otherwise ready- 

 made conditions for dairying in Kansas, and the attention being given 

 this mode of intensive farming in nearly every locality is having its bene- 

 ficial influence, commercially and socially. 



As a hay, there is none so good for all kinds of live stock as alfalfa, and 

 for horses and hogs it is a most invaluable food, either as a hay, a soiling- 

 crop, or as pasture. As a meat-maker, milk-maker, and money-maker, it 

 is equally 2")rized, and as a renovator and improver of soils it has no 

 competitor. 



