Legumes 



189 



field of alfalfa being cut. Notice the quantity of forage. Be- 

 cause of the long life of the plant and the fact that so much hay 

 can be cut annually, farmers in the East and South often go to 

 considerable trouble and expense in their efforts to grow the crop. 



Alfalfa seems to prefer a loose, deep soil ; however, good crops 

 have been grown on fairly heavy soils. The soils must be well 

 drained. The water-level 

 should be at least two 

 feet below the surface and 

 preferably three or four 

 feet or more. Fertility 

 of soil is an important 

 factor; it never pays to 

 try to secure a stand of 

 alfalfa on poor soil. 

 Also, sour soils should 

 be avoided. Like red 

 clover, alfalfa will not 

 make satisfactory growth 

 on such soils and often 

 the reason for a poor 

 stand is that the soil was 

 not sufficiently limed be- 

 fore seed planting. 



In addition to its use 

 as a hay, alfalfa is a 

 valuable soiling crop. It 

 makes so many cuttings a season that a small acreage will 

 furnish green feed for a large number of cattle. It is used 

 to some extent as a pasture for hogs, but not often for cattle. 

 When pasturing a piece of alfalfa, care should be taken that it 

 is not closely grazed, for if so the new growth may be injured. 

 Like red clover, alfalfa seed often contain impurities and this 

 should be kept in mind by purchasers. 



Bur clovers. Although called clovers, the bur clovers 



FIG. 81. Spotted bur clover. 



