HABIT OF GROWTH. 



Alfalfa is a plant with marvelous root growth. It 

 is not unusual to find alfalfa roots penetrating 6'. 8', 

 or even 12' into the earth. Very much deeper roots 

 than these are reported. It is even said that alfalfa 

 roots have been found that were 30' or more in 

 length, and doubtless this is true in favoring soils. 

 Alfalfa is a desert plant by nature. All desert 

 plants root deep and root far. By aid of these deep 

 roots desert plants tide over long drouths ; if there 

 is no moisture in the top soil there is perhaps 

 moisture lower down. Alfalfa is a wonderful for- 

 ager for moisture and for plant food. It loves deep, 

 permeable soils. Because its roots penetrate so 

 deeply into the earth it does not thrive when the 

 water table of the soil is too near the surface. 

 Permanent water ought to be down at least 36" for 

 alfalfa to thrive and if it is to last for many years 

 even more depth is needed. 



Alfalfa Not a Grass. — Alfalfa is in no sense a 

 grass. It has no communistic ideas whatever. 

 Each alfalfa plant is a vigorous, hustling, independ- 

 ent individual. It pushes its roots down, sometimes 

 in one large tap root, sometimes in two or three large 

 roots. It fills the earth with its hairy feeding roots. 

 It makes a branching crown of many stems. The 

 deeper the roots can penetrate the larger the crown 

 will be. The better the soil for alfalfa the fewer 



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