THIRTEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART XII 653 



number of seedings in prospect for the next few years, much of this 

 needed information will soon be at hand. 



This study of alfalfa has impressed us more and more with its value 

 and with the wonderful possibilities in its more general growth and use. 



Many men may fail in their first attempts to grow alfalfa, and some 

 fail repeatedly. It cannot be expected that this crop can be grown suc- 

 cessfully by everyone and under all conditions, or without thought or 

 care. It is a crop requiring study, and therefore we recommend that 

 the planter keep his acreage small until he has acquired such first-hand 

 information about the needs of a'falfa under his particular soil and 

 climatic conditions that he is prepared to grow it on a large area. 



The writer is constantly reminded of the fact that ten years ago in 

 his own old home community, a dairy region, the first seeding of alfalfa 

 was still to be made; perhaps the first in the county. It was considered 

 very questionable whether alfalfa could be grown at all, and merely be- 

 cause it never had been grown. Now alfalfa fields are found all through 

 that region — probably on the majority of the farms— and the crop is 

 seeded and used in the regular rotations as red clover would be. This 

 in spite of the fact that on these same farms, on these same soils, and 

 under the same conditions, it had become increasingly difficult, if not 

 seemingly impossible, to secure successful seedings of that old stand-by 

 legume, red clover. 



Considering these facts, this alfalfa bulletin is presented w'ith the 

 hope that it may aid in hastening the much more general use through- 

 out Iowa of a valuable farm crop. 



H. D. Hughes. 



Alfalfa is not grown as generally in Iowa as its value warrants. Dur- 

 ing the past few years, interest in the crop has increased until we now 

 have something like 30,000 acres of it in the state, but its merit calls for 

 a much larger acreage. Alfalfa can be grown successfully on nearly all 

 Iowa soils. Furthermore, when measured by the four factors which 

 determine the value of a crop in any locality, alfalfa must be considered 

 favorably. These are: 



1. The success with which it can be grown. 



2. Yield per acre and money value of the product. 



3. Food value for consumption on the farm. 



4. Value as a soil builder. 



ALFALFA SUCCEEDS IX IOWA. 



If proper methods are followed, alfalfa can be grown successfully on 

 nearly all Iowa soils. This fact has been established by the experience 

 of individual farmers and by many special tests conducted under many 

 and varied conditions in co-operation with the Iowa Agricultural Experi- 

 ment Station. 



That some initial attempts have failed should discourage no one since 

 the per cent of failures with alfalfa is not so great as with many other 

 crops which are better known, the red clover, for example. 



