ALFALFA 117 



years old. Ordinarily, however, trie season of profit- 

 able growth is not more than, say, 6 to 12 years 

 when grown on upland soils. The meadows usu- 

 ally become more or less weedy or possessed by 

 various grasses, and some of the plants die. The 

 plants at first send up a single stem. When this 

 matures or is cut back the uncut portion of the stem 

 dies down to the crown of the plant, which then 

 sends out other stems. This is repeated as often 

 as the stems are cut down until many stems grow 

 up from one plant as indicated above, unless the 

 plants are so crowded that such multiplication is more 

 or less hindered. The plants grow rapidly as soon 

 as spring arrives, and as often as cut off" they at 

 once spring again into vigorous life, where the con- 

 ditions are favorable to such growth; hence, from 

 one to twelve cuttings of soiling may be obtained in 

 a single season, the former result being obtained in 

 arid climates, where the conditions are unpropitious, 

 and the latter being possible only in congenial soils, 

 where the winters are very mild and where the soils 

 are irrigated. Usually, however, even on upland 

 soils and in the absence of irrigation, not fewer than 

 3 to 5 cuttings of soiling food are obtained each 

 year and not fewer than 2 to 4 crops of hay. 



A number of varieties so called are grown in 

 this country. They differ from each other more, 

 however, in their adaptation in essential properties 

 relating to the quality of the pasture and fodder pro- 

 duced, than in the quality of food product obtained 

 from them. The variety commonly grown from 

 seed produced in the West is usually spoken of 



