THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 55 



phosphates which with the nitrogen given complete fertilization. It has 

 been found in Nebraska and Colorado that grain production is doubled 

 by following alfalfa. We see that in growing legumes like clover, 

 alfalfa and beans we eat our cake and also keep it. 



Our California soils are often lacking in both humus and nitrogen. 

 These are perhaps the most important soil elements. The decaying 

 organic matter brings to the door of every tiny root hair the needed 

 nutriment, so that none need go hungry — will never call in vain for 

 food. Nitrogen is an essential part of every plant cell, so it is easy to 

 understand why these two substances are the very meat and drink of 

 the plants. These two essentials are usually, as stated above, scant in 

 our California soils, though the humus that we do have is strong in its 

 content of nitrogen. Fortunately, alfalfa, easily our "king of crops," 

 hands over to us great quantities of both, which scores big for alfalfa 

 as a field crop. How red clover renovates eastern soils and raises 

 mortgages! We in California have a still better friend in our "king 

 of crops," alfalfa. 



Alfalfa is also peculiar in its persistence, though it may be crowded 

 out by woods. This may and should always be in great part prevented. 

 Alfalfa has been grown on the same land for seventy-five j^ears, and 

 showed little lack of thrift. I have in mind a field which has grown 

 alfalfa since the sixties with only slight interruption. Beans have the 

 same peculiarity. We now understand why. They constantly add to 

 the nitrogen content of the soil. Our soils are rich in potash, and the 

 phosphates are often sufficient for years. Crops of beans in Ventura 

 County liave boon grown on the same land for twenty years with no 

 fertilization, and the last crop was the equal of any of them. I believe 

 alfalfa would exceed beaus, as it is more vigorous in every way. Its 

 deeper root system is also greatly to its advantage. Our soils are very 

 deep, often a hundred feet or more. The roots of alfalfa push down a 

 score of feet or more and so the supply of potash and tlie phosphates is 

 Avell nigh inexhaustible. 



We shall discuss the enemies of alfalfa later and shall find that insects 

 and blights claim tribute, but fortunately the pests are not very numer- 

 ous, and are for the most part easily controlled. 



A weighty argument in favor of alfalfa is the fact that in California 

 we can never hope to equal the demand. Prices must rule high. It 

 rarely ever sells for less than $8.00 per ton ; often it reaches $20.00. 

 The cost of production is not great, and properly managed it rivals 

 even the nuts and the citrus fruits at their best as a "money getter." 



HISTORY. 



Alfalfa is one of the oldest of our cultivated plants. One enthusiast 

 says that it carpeted the orchard plats in the Garden of Eden, and 

 nourished Nebuchadnezzar in his grass-eating days. We have authentic 

 records of it in Pliny's time. Its origin, like that of man, is supposed 

 to have been central or southern Asia, from whence it was carried to 

 north Africa, and to northern and eastern Europe. Either from 

 northern and eastern Europe or Africa it was carried to Spain and 

 Portugal. Spain introduced it into IMexico and South America. It is 

 also thought that it was introduced by the Spanish settlers into the 

 eastern part of the United States, where it has existed for over one 

 hundred years. From Mexico it crossed the line into southern Cali- 



