76 ALFALFA FARMING IN AMERICA. 



sands of dairy farms and her sheep farms and pig 

 breeding farms. The same is true of Pennsylvania 

 and New York, only the need is greater, for the 

 farther east one goes the higher priced is hay and the 

 more wheat bran is bought to furnish protein to 

 make milk or grow animals. 



All over America just now there is a quickening of 

 the agricultural life. Men are awakening, gaining 

 new courage, new hope. The young have higher as- 

 pirations than ever before; farming is coming out 

 from the ruts; it is no longer a disgrace to be a 

 farmer. The best brains and best thought and best 

 blood of -the land are being devoted to agriculture. 

 Alfalfa comes at opportune time. It fits in on every 

 farm, once the soil is made right. It is a permanent 

 thing. It is a mine of riches, a magazine of rich 

 provender, a source of fertility wherewith to build 

 animals and to build other soils. 



Alfalfa brings hope, courage and joy. It brings 

 beauty to field and landscape. It covers over the 

 scars made on the face of Nature, it stops the waste 

 of erosion and soil leaching. Where it comes boys 

 cease leaving the farm, bees come, and birds; the 

 cows stand tranquil with full udders, land values 

 advance, paint comes to the country school-house 

 and happy children trudge along the lanes with well- 

 filled dinner pails. 



And is it practical to grow alfalfa over all this 

 region! It is practical. Alfalfa is one of the sim- 

 plest and easiest things grown in the world. It is 

 one of the hardiest plants known, one of the most 



