Alfalfa in Kansas. 233 



soils become too poorly drained for alfalfa. Such soils will not make as 

 valuable alfalfa soils as those which are naturally well drained, but where 

 they are the only soils available, alfalfa can usually be started by means 

 of tile underdrainage. 



Region II, located in the southeastern corner of the state, consists 

 of residual soils that is, soils which have been formed from the decay 

 of rock in place. The rock from which the majority of the soils in 

 this region were formed was shale, although small areas of soil formed 

 from sandstone and limestone occur. Of these three types of soil, the 

 limestone is by far the best for the growth of alfalfa. Two kinds of lime- 

 stone soils are found the red limestone and the black limestone. The red 

 limestone soil is usually open, porous and well drained, while the black 

 limestone soil is usually less porous, and sometimes so impervious that 

 drainage is poor, and thus not well adapted to alfalfa. The red limestone 

 soils and the well-drained black limestone soils grow alfalfa successfully, 

 although it is advisable to manure these soils for the purpose of sup- 

 plying plant food before attempting to start alfalfa upon them. Some 

 of these soils are so shallow that they do not furnish sufficient root de- 

 velopment for the best growth of the crop. Where this occurs, yields are 

 usually small, sometimes only one good cutting of alfalfa being obtained 

 in a season. But even under such conditions alfalfa is usually the most 

 profitable crop that can be grown upon them. 



The sandstone soils occupy areas of higher elevation than the sur- 

 rounding shale soils, and because of their location and the material from 

 which the soil has been formed, are generally well drained. However, 

 they are often in a low state of fertility and will not grow alfalfa suc- 

 cessfully until after they 'have been fertilized or manured. These soils 

 are frequently shallow and drouthy, and some of them must be limed 

 before alfalfa will grow well. 



The shale soils are the least adapted to alfalfa of any of the soils in the 

 region. They are poorly drained, deficient in lime, often deficient in 

 organic matter and plant food, and have such an impervious subsoil that 

 it is practically impossible for the alfalfa roots to penetrate to a suitable 

 depth. Such soils should not be utilized for alfalfa where other soils, 

 such as the limestone and sandstone soils, occur, but where the shale soils 

 are the only soils on the farm, alfalfa can usually be made to grow if 

 the soil is underdrained and if the field is limed and manured before the 

 crop is sown. On all of the soils in southeastern Kansas, with the excep- 

 tion of the stream valleys, inoculation is necessary, and alfalfa should 

 never be seeded unless inoculation material has been applied. 



Region III constitutes the principal alfalfa-growing region of the 

 state. There is undoubtedly no equal area of land in the United States 

 that has a larger portion of the cultivated land in alfalfa. In 1912, 4.8 

 per cent of all of the cultivated land in this area was in alfalfa, while in 

 region I only 2.5 per cent of the cultivated land was in this crop, and in 

 region II but .66 per cent of the cultivated land was seeded to alfalfa. 



The soil of this region is well adapted to alfalfa. Upon the whole, the 

 soils are deep, well supplied with lime, well drained, and there is usually 



