Alfalfa in Kansas. 469 



ALFALFA'S PLACE IN FARM MANAGEMENT. 



By P. E. CRABTREE, Specialist in Farm Management, Kansas State 

 Agricultural College. 



The growth of the alfalfa industry in the state of Kansas indirectly 

 suggests the adaptability of this crop to our soils and our climates. 

 Very few states in the Union have the variation in altitude, rainfall, 

 wind velocity and nightly temperature that Kansas has. Geologically, 

 the variation in our soil and subsoil is equally as great. We have rea- 

 son to be thankful that a very large area of it is especially adapted to 

 the heavy production of alfalfa. 



Alfalfa is well suited to farm use. It is always well for the producer 

 of a product to be also the consumer, as largely as he can profitably 

 utilize the product, for in so doing he eliminates all middlemen's profits 

 and usually two or more items of transportation. Definite application 

 of thought along this line will usually disclose that a general plan of 

 producing the commodities required on the farm is associated with 

 highly satisfactory returns for any effort thus put forth. 



In the use of alfalfa on the farm where it is grown, the general prac- 

 tice of animal husbandry, without which a really permanent system of 

 agricultural pursuit has never yet been found possible, is encouraged. 

 Probably the fundamental consideration in the encouragement of animal 

 husbandry is the conservation of soil fertility. In addition to this, the 

 farm product is manufactured into a more condensed form, in which 

 there is often distinct advantage. A farm may be located a considerable 

 distance from transportation lines and in the condensed form of animals 

 or their products the crops may be more cheaply and conveniently trans- 

 ported to market. 



Alfalfa scores another point for farm use in that it is a ration balancer. 

 In this capacity it combines properly with many home-grown products, 

 enabling them in turn to be utilized on the farm, for in its protein content 

 it is by far the cheapest source available for general farm use. Indeed, 

 where alfalfa is lacking on the farm, I am sorry to admit, too often no 

 definite attempt is made properly to balance the live-stock rations, greatly 

 at the expense of health of the animals and at the restriction of the 

 profits obtainable. 



With any living animal one of the important considerations with 

 proper digestion is palatability. Without palatability the necessary 

 digestive secretions are not called into action, and consequently the 

 eaten food does not receive proper chemical treatment. On account of 

 its palatability, no better relish has ever been found for live stock and 

 poultry than alfalfa. 



As a farm pasture, on the whole, nothing else compares favorably 

 with alfalfa. It is early, it is late, it is constant, it is almost continuous. 

 As to its palatability, ask the hog, ask the hen, ask the horse. True, it is, 

 on the average, a dangerous plant on which to pasture "ruminating" 

 animals; so please otherwise provide for the pasture of the cow, the 

 sheep, and the goat. 



