ALFALFA IS THE KING OF FORAGE CROPS 



Alfalfa is indeed the King of forage crops. It is the greatest 

 mortgage lifter in the world. Prosperity came to Kansas and 

 Nebraska and many another Western State to abide permanently at 

 the time the production of alfalfa became a fixed industry. Tens of 

 thousands of farmers have grown rich growing this amazing grass. 



The story of alfalfa in the Yuma Valley and on the lands under 

 the Yuma project is an unbelievable romance of climate and soil to 

 those who are not acquainted with the conditions which prevail here. 

 This is its home and habitat. Here it has reached its highest perfec- 

 tion and produces its most marvelous results. 



As a matter of fact, alfalfa is harvested every month in the year. 

 Soil of extraordinary fertility, continual sunshine and an abundant 

 and never-failing water supply combine to make the Yuma Valley the 

 greatest alfalfa growing country in the world. There are no rains to 

 damage the crop, no dew to mold it. It comes to the baler, bright, 

 clean and in perfect condition. 



The selling price of alfalfa hay at Yuma during the past eight 

 years has seldom been as low as $8. and it has sold as high as $18 

 and $20 the ton. It takes very little figuring to demonstrate the 

 money-producing powers of this superb crop. Land that will produce 

 alfalfa to the value of from $100 to $200 per acre each year and leave 

 the land at the end of the year better than it was at the beginning, 

 is almost without price. 



In addition to growing alfalfa for hay. an industry which our farm- 

 ers have demonstrated to be most profitab'e, the production of a 1f alfa 

 seed has become a profitable industry. The second, and sometimes 

 the third crop is cut for seed. The yield, during the past four ve^rs, 

 has run from 300 to 1800 pounds to ;he acre. The price has seldom 

 been as low as 10 cen f s per rrrrrt ar r1 ha* ^on^ or 16 cents. The 

 average price has been about midway between those figures. Yuma 

 project alfalfa seed is in great demand all over the country. It has 

 been shipped from Seattle to Florida It has a reputation all over 

 the country of being the very best alfalfa seed grown. During the 

 season just closed more than 6000 acres of alfalfa were h?rveste r l for 

 the seed. It is cleaned and standardized in Yuma by local growers' 

 associations before being sent abroad. Among the farmers in the 

 Yuma V?lley who have made the greatest success zro'vin? aKnlfa 

 seed ere S. P. Huss, James Meadows. Karr & Kester, F. E. Elliott, 

 and dozers of others might be mentioned. 



As the dairy industry develops around Yuma, and it is now 

 developing with rapid strides, the growing of alfal f a for hay alfalfa 

 merl and seed will become a very great business and sure tc m n ke 

 {.rose vho engage in it a splendid return for the labor and capital 

 invested. 



