Green Forage Crops 273 



same as recommended for the cereal with which it is grown, 

 except that the amount of nitrogen may be slightly re- 

 duced. A liberal supply of minerals should be applied. 



Alfalfa, or lucerne. 



This valuable crop, which was not formerly regarded 

 as well adapted for the eastern states, can be success- 

 fully and profitably grown ft the soil is sufficiently deep 

 and open and naturally well drained, and provided it is 

 supplied with an abundance of mineral food, consisting 

 of phosphoric acid, potash and lime. Its habits of growth 

 are such as to enable the harvesting of three or four green 

 forage crops, and at least two hay crops annually. In 

 order to meet the large plant-food demands thus made, 

 the fertilization previous to seeding must be not only 

 liberal, but frequent top-dressings should be made. The 

 phosphoric acid for these dressings should preferably be 

 drawn from superphosphates, in order that ready dis- 

 tribution may be accomplished, while a large portion of 

 that contained in the preparatory dressing may consist 

 of the less soluble forms, as ground bone, natural phos- 

 phatic guanos, and fine ground rock phosphates. 



Twenty tons of alfalfa green forage, which may be 

 regarded as a good annual yield for this plant from the 

 two to four cuttings that may be made, will contain 

 250 pounds of nitrogen, 50 of phosphoric acid and 275 

 of potash. Assuming that the demands for soil nitrogen 

 are confined to a short period immediately subsequent 

 to the germination of the seed, the total required plant- 

 food is still considerable, and is especially severe upon 

 the potash compounds of the soil. Hence, the fertilizers 

 supplied should be particularly rich in this element. For 

 eastern conditions, where soils possess a medium rather than 



