ALFALFA, OR LUCERNE 157 



Toothed bur clover grows luxuriantly on the Pacinc coast, 

 being much more abundant in California than spotted bur clover. 

 It grows on all types of soil, but loam or adobe soils are the best, 

 even though they may be somewhat deficient in lime. On both 

 pasture and cultivated land good stands are often obtained with- 

 out artificial seeding. Once a stand is established it is main- 

 tained indefinitely if the burs are permitted to develop. Both 

 species furnish excellent forage for cattle, sheep, and hogs. 

 Usually the leafage is not relished by horses and mules. 



Where the lands do not become seeded naturally, the seeding 

 should be done in the fall, preferably just before the autumn 

 rains begin. About 15 pounds of the hulled seed should be sown 

 per acre. A light harrowing is the best method of covering the 

 seed. 



Alfalfa, or Lucerne. — Alfalfa {Medicago saliva) is thought to 

 be the oldest cultivated forage plant. Growing naturally in the 

 hot, dry regions of Persia and Asia Minor, it yields well in warm, 

 dry climates of the United States but does not do well in humid 

 regions. In the far West it is without doubt the most important 

 of the introduced forage plants. There are several varieties of 

 alfalfa, but the blue-flowered kinds are the most widely culti- 

 vated. 



It is the general practice to sow alfalfa pure, though sometimes 

 a nurse crop is used. Where ample moisture is available, 10 to 

 15 pounds of seed per acre should be sown. In drier regions 6 to 

 8 pounds is sufficient. The seed may be scattered any time dur- 

 ing spring or summer. 



As hog pasture, alfalfa is second to none. It is not weU 

 adapted to the grazing of cattle or sheep because of the tendency 

 to cause bloating. Exception to this general statement is found 

 in the arid regions where bloating is practically unknown. The 

 fact that alfalfa causes bloating of animals in one region and not 

 in another is not understood. Bloating is most troublesome if the 

 animals are very hungry when turned on the alfalfa pasture, or if 

 they graze when the leafage is wet. Alfalfa pasture should never 

 be grazed very closely, as the practice destroys the buds at the 

 crown of the plant and causes the yield to decline sharply. 



