32 CLOVER CUL/TUKJi,. 



brought to Greece during the Persian war about 470 B. C. f 

 thence to Italy; and it naturally followed the march of the all-- 

 conquering legions to France, Spain and Portugal. The 

 Spaniards brought it with them to the new world and it soon 

 became established along the La Plata and in Chili in South 

 America, whence it was brought to California. Its very great 

 value under irrigation having been recognized, it soon be* 

 came established in the mountain valleys and on the plains. 

 Of late years farmers are beginning to recognize its value as a 

 substitute for clover on lands that are not susceptible of ir- 

 rigation, and now it may almost be regarded as a maxim that 

 where clover ends alfalfa begins, limited only in the practical 

 application of the maxim to soils that have a sub-soil suit- 

 able for alfalfa. . 



Alfalfa has travelled under various names. While its bo- 

 tanical name \smedicagosativa it is knownin European coun- 

 tries as u lucerne," from the city of Lucerne, in Switzerland,, 

 where it is largely cultivated. The Spaniard named it alfalfa,, 

 a name said to be of Arabic origin and this name has natur- 

 ally followed the plant to the new world. It has some strik- 

 ing peculiarities, one that its stalk is very small in proportion 

 to its root, the former growing under favorable conditions 

 about two feet in length, the latter measured only by the dis- 

 tance to water. It may be anything from five feet to twenty 

 feet. 



It has been used for so many ages for the specific purpose 

 of a meadow and forage plant that it does not adapt itself 

 readily to pasturage, and in order to secure the best results, re- 

 quires to be cut as a hay crop whether it be long or short,, 

 about the time one fourth of the flowers are in bloom, other- 

 wise the stalk becomes woody and the value is very greatly- 

 reduced. It need scarcely be said that a grass cut with such 

 an excess of sap is difficult to cure in a climate of great sum- 

 mer rainfall, and for this and many other reasons is not adapt- 

 ed to the soil and climate where clovers can be grown success- 

 fully. This difficulty of curing the hay is not the only ob- 

 stacle in the way of its adoption by farmers who can grow the 

 other clovers to perfection. It must have room to stretch 

 out its roots and hence will not succeed on lands where the 

 moisture is near the surface, for the same reason it will not 

 succeed on lands that have a subsoil of heavy, impervious 

 clay or are underlaid with rock. Requiring several years to 

 attain its maxim of usefulness, it does not fie readily into the 

 rotations especially the short ones which are so essential to- 



