LESSON XX 

 ALFALFA 



Alfalfa is a legume. - - The flowers grow in little 

 spikelets or clusters from the axils of the leaves on the 

 upper part of the stem. The taproot of alfalfa grows 

 deep into the soil and lives many years. It is said that 

 fields of alfalfa in Spain have lived one hundred and 

 eighty years from one planting. In western America 

 there are fields forty or fifty years old. On some soils 

 alfalfa may live only a few seasons. 



The word alfalfa comes from an Arabic word which 

 means the best fodder. The plant is a native of Asia 

 and was brought to Greece and Italy many centuries 

 ago. In some places, alfalfa is called lucerne, which 

 is the name of a valley in Italy, from which place it was 

 taken to all parts of Europe. 



Effect on the soil. Alfalfa is now grown in all parts 

 of the United States and in Canada. It is one of 

 the most useful, most profitable, and most highly 

 prized crops. It is not only a valuable hay and pasture 

 crop, but also an improver of the soil in which it grows. 

 The soil in which alfalfa has grown for a few years is 

 so rich that it will produce large yields of other crops. 



Large crops. Alfalfa gives the largest yields of any 

 hay plant. It furnishes two crops a year in the northern 



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