52 ALFALFA FARMING IN AMERICA. 



and that alfalfa was the best of the legumes for this 

 purpose of enriching soils. 



Note too that he found it a good food for horses. 

 It is said that the chariot horses were fed on alfalfa 

 hay, and the colts destined to become war horses 

 were raised largely on it because it made them 

 larger, heavier and more impetuous. 



From Italy alfalfa naturally spread wherever the 

 Eoman farmer colonist penetrated, through France, 

 Spain, England and doubtless Germany. It may be 

 that Spain also received alfalfa from Africa through 

 the Moots. The name alfalfa comes from the Ara- 

 bic and means the best forage, and this name the 

 Spanish people adopted. Through the introduction 

 of the plant in America by the Spanish colonists 

 and our taking it from them on our Pacific coast we 

 get the name alfalfa. In France, England and most 

 other European countries, and in Utah and formerly 

 through all our eastern states, the name lucerne is 

 in common use. This name comes- from a river val- 

 ley in northern Italy. 



Alfalfa throve in Italy, in much of Spain and in 

 parts of France. Where it throve no other forage 

 plant could compete with it. It was introduced long 

 ago into England and there it throve in spots. It 

 was much extolled by some, its planting advised, 

 yet it never became common and today is seldom 

 seen in extensive use on the British Isles. It was 

 brought to America in two ways, from Spain to 

 Mexico, Peru, Chili, Argentina, from Mexico to 

 Texas, New Mexico and California ; later from Chili 



