98 TRANSACTIONS OF STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



ALFALFA. 



Its Growth, Cultivation, Harvest, and Value as a Food. 



ALFALFA-GROWING AND HAY-MAKING.* 



By W. H. SHAFER, of Selma. 



The word alfalfa is of Arabic origin, and was in use in Spain when 

 the plant was introduced into Mexico after the Spanish conquest, and 

 this name went with it. The name lucern, by which the plant is known 

 in the Eastern States, comes from an old Italian word, and not from 

 Lucerne, one of the Swiss cantons. 



History. — Alfalfa has been cultivated as a forage plant for more than 

 twenty centuries. It is a native of the central portion of western Asia, 

 being yet found in a wild state there. It was introduced into Greece at 

 the time of the Persian war, 470 B. C. It was cultivated by the Romans 

 as a forage crop for the horses of their armies, and its growth in Italy has 

 been continued down to the present time. It was probably introduced into 

 Spain during the Moorish control, and was carried from there to Mexico 

 and the west coast of South America. From Chile it was brought to 

 California in the early history of this State, and has spread over the 

 region between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains and is now 

 cultivated therein almost to the exclusion of other forage plants. 



In the San Joaquin. — Attempts to obtain a better forage plant than 

 alfalfa have ended in failure, or worse than failure, as witness Johnson 

 grass, which was introduced as a substitute for alfalfa in this part of 

 the State. The consequences of this attempt are familiar to all and 

 need no comment. The length of time that the peoples of climates and 

 soils similar to those of the San Joaquin Valley have cultivated this plant 

 would seem to indicate that no better can be found for forage production; 

 but if improvement is needed, it should be looked for not in plants of 

 other species, but in the selection of seed to reach the end desired — 

 either hardiness or greater productiveness. Every observing farmer has 

 noted the differences of individual plants in the same field, and growing 

 side by side. It is just as true of alfalfa as of any other plant, tree, or 

 grain, that advantage could be taken of this to improve the stock by 



*The writer wishes to acknowledge indebtedness to the bulletin on alfalfa issued by 

 the Agricultural Department, Washington, D. C, for historical data and that portion 

 of this paper in smaller type. 



