HISTORY. 53 



to California in 1851, which marked the really im- 

 portant step in alfalfa growing in America. 



The other source was the bringing of lucerne seed 

 to the eastern states of America from England, 

 France and Germany early in the history of Ameri- 

 can colonization. In the eighteenth century many 

 men were experimenting with lucerne in Virginia, 

 New York, North Carolina and doubtless other 

 states. Some of them succeeded quite well and 

 many of them doubtless failed. We know now the 

 reason why many failed. Then the behavior of lu- 

 cerne was a mystery to the farmer. We had not 

 learned then the intimate connection between alka- 

 linity of soil and presence of abundant carbonate of 

 lime and alfalfa culture. It is all very easy to ex- 

 plain this now how alfalfa came from alkaline soils 

 rich in lime down in Persia, into the alkaline plains 

 of Babylonia, to the limestone soils of Roman lands, 

 to the soils of Greece built on marble decay, to the 

 limestones of southern France, to the alkaline soils 

 of semi-arid north Africa, to the soils rich in lime 

 and alkalies in Spain, thence to similar soils, yet 

 richer in lime, in Mexico, Chili, New Mexico and Cal- 

 ifornia. In England soils vary immensely as regard 

 their lime content. Some are very rich in lime ; on 

 these lucerne throve : in others lime is very deficient ; 

 here it failed. In France there is found a similar 

 variability, so also there were found areas that grew 

 good lucerne, and others that grew none at all. In 

 eastern America, on the other hand, nearly all soils 

 were from the first settling of the country deficient 



