FIELD CROPS 285 



arid region. Here the great depth and easy penetration 

 of soil and the number of successive crops which can 

 be obtained with irrigation, render it far superior to 

 the clovers, which are preferred throughout the humid 

 region to the " lucerne/ 7 the name there given to alfalfa. 

 Alfalfa is one of the most anciently known forage crops. 

 It was supposed to have originally come from Media 

 (northern Persia), and is called the " Median herb 77 by 

 ancient Latin writers. In southern Europe it is to-day 

 the chief forage crop. It requires a warm climate and 

 a deep soil, for its roots are said to go down fifty feet 

 at times. In the Great Valley of California it very 

 commonly goes to twenty-five feet depth. That is 

 why it will stand so much drought, for at such depths 

 the land is always moist. It may then continue to grow 

 on the same land for thirty years without sowing again. 



Alfalfa may be fed green, but most of it is made into hay, 

 which is very good food. When irrigated (figure 25) im- 

 mediately after cutting, it quickly grows up again, and as 

 many as six cuts have been made from fields in southern 

 California. So with irrigation it is a very profitable forage 

 crop, yielding as much as ten tons of hay to the acre, when 

 grasses would have made only two to four. 



Red clover in its several varieties is to cool and 

 moist climates, such as the East, and western Oregon 

 and Washington, what alfalfa is to warm and arid 

 ones. It does not root as deeply as alfalfa, and hence 

 will not stand the summer drought of California without 



