500 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



poor man's friend. "They not only work for nothing and board them- 

 selves, but pay for the privilege." 



The history of alfalfa has been written so many times in bulletins, 

 various text hooks and the agricultural press, so that a resume of that 

 phase of the subject seems unnecessary. Civilized man in his march of 

 conquest and settlement has carried it with him into all countries. Its 

 introduction into the United States has been both from the east and from 

 the west; the greatest progress, however, has been from the west, because 

 under these conditions it thrived more luxuriantly, proving its value more 

 conclusively as a great forage plant. 



Medicago sativa L. is the botanical name by which alfalfa is known. 

 The different varieties or strains, if we might call them such, have been 

 originated from this and are only distinct from it in so far as hardiness or 

 productivity are concerned. 



TYPE OF SOIL. 



Because alfalfa is so widely distributed in the United States it is so 

 often taken for granted that it is able to make the best of any soil condi- 

 tion, and many failures can be attributed to just such conclusions. Its 

 hardiness and deep feeding root system does not necessarily make it a 

 crop which does not respond unfavorably to indifferent treatment. The 

 selection of the field is of prime importance and must receive due consider- 

 ation if alfalfa culture is successful. 



Locality, altitude, soil type, position, do not have such dominating in- 

 fluence as the moisture conditions. The rather crude expression so com- 

 monly heard, "Alfalfa will not stand wet feet," is literally true, as many 

 have found to their disappointment and expense. Choose a loamy surface 

 with good drainage, which can be best obtained on a sloping hillside. The 

 water table should he from two to three feet below the surface, and the 

 subsoil should be porous enough to permit the roots to penetrate to the 

 saturated soil beneath. If the soil is hard, impervious and water-logged, 

 less than three feet beneath the surface, alfalfa is unable to utilize its 

 deep feeding root system, and we lose the 'best results which recommends it 

 to the farmer. A sloping hillside has the advantage in not having low, 

 wet, flat spots in it where ice may form, which is as detrimental as stand- 

 ing water to a good stand. We have observed alfalfa which died on a 

 well drained soil when covered wath ice during the opening of spring. 



When the plants are dormant the field will stand flooding, but not ice. 

 So it is very essential that if a soil is low and subject to standing water,, 

 that complete drainage be inaugurated before the alfalfa is seeded. 



A soil intended for alfalfa must not be acid, otherwise any attempt to 

 grow alfalfa successfully will he a failure. Soils in humid regions are 

 more likely to be in such condition, making it necessary to apply lime 

 to correct acidity. 



The bacteria are likewise present in all our soils, so that inoculation is 

 not necessary. Care should be taken when an examination is made for tu- 

 bercles to dig out the plant carefully with a spade, because when a plant 

 is pulled from the soil the nodules are apt to be stripped from the roots. 



