are much alike when young. Alfalfa is a much smaller, 

 fine stemmed plant, having purple blossoms and a coiled 

 seed' pod. 



Alfalfa has, for many centuries, been an important 

 plant, especially in the warmer portions of Europe. 

 Above all other crops alfalfa may be credited with the 

 foremost place in the development of the arid regions of 

 the United States. At no distant day it will doubtless 

 assume iinportant proportions in the agriculture of Ala- 

 bama. On all sioils suitable to it in this State, it w;ill 

 doubtless become one of the pi'incipal foundations on 

 which the live stock industrv will be based. 



USES. 



Alfalfa is useful for hay making, for feeding green (or 

 soiling), for pasturage, and for the fertiliization of the 

 soil. Its most important use is as a hay plant. Alfalfa 

 yields more hay per acre than any other leguminous for- 

 age plant. Indeed, in yield it has few superiors, sorghum 

 perhaps being the only one of importance in Alabama, 

 and this falling far behind alfalfa in nutritive value. 

 Alfalfa hay i;^ much more nearly a complete food than is 

 the hay of Johnson grass, sorghum, crab grass, etc. 



The following table gives the composition of green and 

 cured alfalfa, and for comparison the composition of cer- 

 tain other forage plants, the chemical data being taken 

 from Henry's "Feeds and Feeding" and from ^McBryde's 

 tables. 



