ALFALFA 



the corn. Moreover, the roots have filled the soil 

 with organic matter, improving the physical con- 

 dition of the soil and subsoil. 



Another gain is found in the content of phos- 

 phoric acid and potash in the manure, much of 

 which was drawn from soil supplies out of reach 

 of the other farm crops. The profit from intro- 

 duction of alfalfa into a region's agriculture is 

 very great. 



Alfalfa makes a nutritious and palatable feed 

 for livestock. A ton contains as much digestible 

 protein as 1600 pounds of wheat bran. 



Climate and Soil. --The experimentation with 

 alfalfa by farmers has been wide-spread, and the 

 percentage of failure has been so large that many 

 have believed this legume was unfitted to the 

 climate and soil of the country east of the Missouri 

 River. Successful experience has shown that it 

 can be made to take a considerable place in eastern 

 crop-schemes. The climate is not unfavorable, 

 as is evidenced by large areas of good alfalfa sods 

 on thousands of farms. The abundant rainfall 

 brings various weeds and grasses into competition 

 with it, and that will remain a serious drawback 

 until growers learn to clean their surface soils 

 by good tillage before seeding. 



[61] 



