118 RURAL CALIFORNIA 



would deliver them from irrigation, which they saw 

 at first no way to apply to the vast interior plains, has 

 become the greatest irrigated plant of the State and 

 beyond. It is interesting that although lucerne was 

 introduced at an early date to the Atlantic states both 

 north and south, it never widely demonstrated supe- 

 riority to other clovers nor did it advance far west- 

 ward. On the other hand, the same plant under its 

 Spanish name alfalfa, moved eastward from Cali- 

 fornia until it again appeared full of honors on the 

 Atlantic seaboard, where it had been neglected for 

 generations. The eastward movement is interesting. 

 The Mormons of Salt Lake were pioneers in irriga- 

 tion by Americans on the Pacific Slope, but they had 

 no alfalfa until they saw the California demonstra- 

 tion and profited by it. Alfalfa followed irrigation 

 water in Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, 

 Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico. Then came the 

 movement eastward from the Eocky Mountains. Kan- 

 sas and Nebraska first, and the whole sweep of the 

 Mississippi Valley; then to the Atlantic Slope from 

 New England to Georgia. 



No single kind of plant (either herb, vine, or 

 tree) is producing so great value in California as the 

 alfalfa. No other comes so quickly to the home- 

 makers' help on irrigated land or on suitable soil 

 under rainfall, if properly protected from its enemies. 

 No plant, save a vine or tree, endures so long in 

 profitable service, or is so good to fit land for every 

 other crop. Alfalfa is largely the basis of the fol- 

 lowing marketed products of the State for 1919: 



