HISTORY. 75 



Louisiana perhaps leading. Alfalfa revels in alluvial 

 soils rich in lime. These soils are found along the 

 deltas of the Mississippi, Arkansas and Red rivers. 

 A great per cent of the state of Louisiana is adapted 

 to alfalfa growing once it is drained and the soil 

 made ready. Mississippi has alluvial "buckshot" 

 soils along the western side and limestone black soils 

 along the eastern side. In each of these soil types 

 alfalfa thrives. It is a remarkable fact that lands 

 that can be bought for $25 to $50 per acre in these 

 states will grow four tons of alfalfa hay per acre 

 and the hay is worth at present writing $20 per ton. 

 Albama has similar limestone soils and is doing well 

 with alfalfa thereon. The common upland soils of 

 Alabama will grow alfalfa when well limed and en- 

 riched and it is thriving in many places where right 

 preparation has been made. 



With all this encouraging evidence of the spread 

 of 'alfalfa culture there remains mueii to be done. 

 Not one acre in a thousand is made ready for alfalfa 

 that should be made ready. Think of Iowa with her 

 wide fields of maize, steadily growing less and less 

 fertile because of the drain made upon them ; think 

 of her herds of cattle, her sheep, her cows and swine 

 all craving alfalfa to balance up a ration too exclu- 

 sively corn. Think of Illinois, her high priced lands, 

 her fields famed for riches but their fertility steadily 

 diminishing, her need of foods rich in protein, her 

 need of soil building. And Indiana with her poorer 

 soils and smaller farms needs alfalfa on every farm 

 she possesses, and Ohio needs it more with her thou- 



