AGRICULTURE. 



ALFALFA A NEBRASKA MONEY 



MAKER. 



Alfalfa raising is rapidly becoming an 

 important industry in parts of Nebraska, 

 where crops less dependent upon frequent 

 rainfa'l are uncertain. Introduction of 

 this crop in these regions is revolutioniz- 

 ing farming. Scientific farmers have long 

 advocated t he growth of alfalfa, recogniz- 

 ing its value as a stock food, but it is only 

 within the past few years that it has been 

 grown extensively east of the Rockies. 



We are indebted to J. F. Crocker, a 

 member of the executive committee of 

 the Business Men's Association of Kear- 

 ney, Neb., for a copy of a booklet issued 

 by that as-ociation. The brochure is de- 

 vnted to an -xposition of the value of al- 

 falfa, celers and sugar beet crops in Buf- 

 falo county, of which Kearney is the 

 countyse.it ''The main point we x wish 

 to impress upon the mind of the reader," 

 says the b <> by way of introduction, ''is 

 that each <-t' these crops is successfully 

 grown in ill - locality without irrigation, a 

 condition ir i considered possible in com- 

 mercial q'i i ties a few years ago." The 

 alfalfa ;u; H of Bufialo county is esti- 

 mated at o,000 acres, which will be in- 

 creased 1) '000 or 15,000 acres in 1903. 

 The vain f alfalfa as a stock food is 

 well kno\\ > Kor the semi-arid regions it 

 is an inva <e crop. Roots of the plant 

 bore deM r water. A three-year-old 

 plant oft < ' s roots measuring eight feet 

 long. It rennial, and fields are in good 



condition r twenty-five years of con- 

 stant ci r. As from three to four 

 crops uia.v -ut each year in fields from 

 three t y^ars old, averaging from 

 three to I. us an acre, its value is bet- 

 ter reali/ As to the value of the pro- 

 duct, th' says: 



"Actu .Its from experimental sta- 



tions of il states are that four tons 



of alfalt;* vorth $8 a ton to feed four- 



year-old steers, or per acre $32; four tons 

 are worth $10.50 a ton to feed two-year- 

 old steers, or per acre $42; four tons are 

 worth $16 an acre to feed yearlings, or per 

 acre $64; four tons are worth $20.60 a ton' 

 to feed hogs and lambs, or per acre 

 $82.40." It is stated that Buffalo county 

 has 175,000 acres of valley land that will 

 average four tons to the acre. 



Kearney celery is well known in the 

 produce world. There was a struggle to 

 market it at first, because produce dealers 

 feared it would drive out Michigan celery. 

 But it is now freely sold for ten to fifteen 

 cents a dozen more than Michigan celery. 

 The Platte river islands are especially 

 adaptable to growth of celery, of which 

 775,000 pounds were shipped by express 

 alone in 1901. ''Five acres of celery suc- 

 cessfully grown and rightly handled will 

 make more money than the average quar- 

 ter section of land in corn." it is stated. 



Sugar beets are a success there, bring- 

 ing $4 a ton. The average yield an acre 

 is from ten to sixteen tons, while the cost 

 of production varies from $25 to $30 an 

 acre, depending on the distance for deliv- 

 ery of the crop. 



The booklet is of interest to all who are 

 interested in the development of the mid- 

 dle West. It is put up in neat folder 

 form, well printed, and is a credit to the 

 business men of the town that is "out for 

 business" in every sense of the word. 

 Apparel Gazette. 



FRUIT GROWERS COMBINE 

 In these days of Trusts and Combines 

 in other interests many of the fruit grow- 

 ers in the districts devoted largely to the 

 growing of the fruit, have endeavored by 

 combination, to purchase supplies more 

 cheaply and secure quicker and better 

 transportation facilities and to market 

 their products to better advantage. 



Perhaps a recent study made in dis- 



