38 The Bulletin. 



is of an upright nature, and has small purple blossoms immediately 

 above the leaves. These do not appear until summer or fall. 



Japan clover is valued principally as a pasture plant, though where 

 it grows high enough it will make good hay. In Mississippi and other 

 of the more Southern States they often get as much as two to four tons 

 of hay per acre. I think I have heard of as much as six tons per acre 

 on very fertile land in the Mississippi valley. 



Japan clover is highly recommended for permanent pasture as all 

 kinds of live stock thrive on it. But when used for permanent pasture 

 fire must be kept off of it or the clover will be entirely killed out. I: 

 readily reseeds itself where it once grows. When sowing use from 15 

 to 20 pounds of seed per acre and harrow in. It has the reputation of 

 salivating stock the same as red clover will. 



Alfalfa or Lucerne. 



Of all the hay crops grown in the United States there is probably none 

 that ranks as high as alfalfa, where soil and other conditions are well 

 suited to it. This is another plant that came from Asia and was intro- 

 duced first into this country from England more than a hundred years 

 ago, but owing to a lack of knowledge of the requirements of the plant 

 it did net spread over a very large territory when first introduced. In 

 1854 it is said to have been introduced into California from South 

 America and has gradually worked its way east until it is now grown to 

 some extent probably in every State in the Union. It is known to have 

 grown in and around Hillsboro in this State for the last hundred years, 

 but it has spread little from that section. The late Dr. Hogg of Raleigh 

 sowed alfalfa in his garden, which was immediately across the street in 

 front of the Governor's .Mansion, about 25 years ago. A part of the 

 lot was sold some years ago for building purposes and yet there is still 

 some of the alfalfa growing on the land. There are a few fields of it 

 near Raleigh, some of which have been giving good cuttings of it each 

 year for the last four or five years. 



Alfalfa is a very deep rooted, long lived plant. I have known the 

 roots to go down over three feet the first year of its growth. It has the 

 reputation of being probably the deepest rooted of all the cultivated 

 plants we have. In the western states it is said that in making cuts for 

 railroads through alfalfa fields it is not infrequent that the roots have 

 been found as much as 18 or 20 feet below the surface, and in some 

 instances much deeper than that. But in North Carolina such condi- 

 tions would hardly be met. 



Alfalfa is not a poor land crop. To grow it successfully it requires 

 a fertile soil, well drained and free from acidity. The area over which 

 we can grow it increases as we become better acquainted with its re- 

 quirements, and it is also possible that the plant adapts itself to condi- 

 tions surrounding it so that in a few years we will be able to grow it 

 successfully in almost any part of the State. 



The writer has grown alfalfa for several years and has not found it 

 a difficult crop to grow. Fertile soil, drainage, lime and inoculation are 

 the things necessary. 



