44 



ALFALFA AS A CROP FOR MASSACHUSETTS. 



Wm. P. Brooks, Director. 



For about twelve years alfalfa has been under trial — for the 

 most part on small areas — on various portions of the College 

 Farm in Amherst, and until recently the results have in all cases 

 been quite discouraging. The alfalfa has usually started w^ell 

 and in a number of instances has for a year or two given quite 

 satisfactory crops, but only to gradually die out, to be replaced 

 by grasses and clovers. In view of these results the Director has 

 not felt warranted in encouraging e^fforts to produce alfalfa 

 upon an extensive scale, though he has always advised experi- 

 menting with it. At the present time there are three small areas 

 of alfalfa on different parts of the grounds from one to three 

 years of age. All of these gave three excellent crops in 1907. 



As the result of the experience at Amherst, the Director does 

 not even yet feel justified in recommending the putting of large 

 areas into alfalfa. It is feared that the present apparent success 

 is due to unusually favorable climatic conditions and that in 

 the future, as in the past, alfalfa will be found an uncertain crop. 

 It is the judgment of the Director that its nutritive value does 

 not exceed that of the more common clovers grown in mixture 

 with grasses to a sufficient degree to make it expedient to incur 

 much risk in the effort to produce it. In support of this view, 

 the following results of analyses are presented : 



COMPOSITION OF CLOVER AND ALFALFA HAYS. 



Alfalfa,* 

 Alsike Clover,** 

 Medium Red Clover,** 



These figures indicate that there can be no great difference in 

 the food values of alfalfa and clover hays. Alfalfa, however, 

 is a long-lived plant: when once established it should continue 

 to yield three crops annually for a considerable number of years. 

 The alsike and red clovers on the other hand are short-lived. It 

 is this difference chiefly w^hich makes it worth while to attempt 

 to produce alfalfa. 



'Calculated on basii of two analyses publiihed by the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station. 

 **Average of analyses in the Ma^isachuset^s Agricultural Experiment Station. 



