354 FIELD CROPS 



high as 8,000 feet. In the irrigated portions of the Far 

 Western states, alfalfa is the principal forage crop. Out- 

 side of this district, it is more important in Kansas than else- 

 where, nearly one million acres now being grown in that state, 

 the alfalfa acreage exceeding the combined area in clovei* 

 and all the tame grasses. Its cultivation has spread in recent 



Figure 121. — Alfalfa seed on the left, and red clover seed on the right. 



years to the states east of the Mississippi River, and, though 

 there is no large acreage in any state, the importance of the 

 crop is rapidly increasing. 



The reasons for the popularity of alfalfa where it can 

 be grown are not hard to find. Once established, it lasts 

 for years and yields from three to five cuttings of very valu- 

 able hay during the season, the total production being con- 

 siderably greater than from red clover. It thrives in the 

 South where red clover will not grow; when once established 

 it is more drought-resistant. The feeding value of the hay is 

 greater than that of red clover hsiy. When a stand of alfalfa 

 is broken up, corn or other crops yield heavily, for the 

 alfalfa adds a large supply of nitrogen to the soil, and the 

 long roots improve its physical condition by making the 

 lower layers more porous. 



465. The yield of alfalfa varies greatly in different por- 

 tions of the country, depending on the rainfall, the fertility 



