ALFALFA I 25 



crops in the same will be largely dependent upon 

 the growing of alfalfa. Next in adaptation to the 

 mountain States are, it is thought, certain soils that 

 lie between the Rocky Mountains and the Mississippi, 

 especially such as are in proximity to rivers, or are 

 underlaid with sheet water not far distant from the 

 surface. But an unusually large proportion of the 

 upland soil in these States, from Central Minnesota 

 southward, have high adaptation for the growth of 

 this plant. Particularly is this true of the soils of 

 Nebraska and Kansas and of considerable portions 

 of Missouri, Arkansas and Louisiana. 



In States east of the Mississippi, the adaptation 

 is not so general, and is more dependent on soil con- 

 ditions than on those that are climatic. In nearly 

 all of the river bottoms of these States it will grow 

 with more or less success. On nearly all upland 

 soils it will also grow well, where the subsoil fur- 

 nishes naturally good drainage. For the exception, 

 see page 132. But in no State east of the Mississippi, 

 is such a proportion of the area so highly adapted to 

 growing alfalfa as in many of the States west of 

 that river. In other States areas are found in which 

 alfalfa will produce excellent crops, but usually 

 these do not embrace the larger portion of the entire 

 area in any State. In a considerable number of the 

 States such areas are more or less limited, and usu- 

 ally they are distributed variously in the dififerent 

 States; that is, they do not lie side by side. The 

 favorite soil conditions in these are a good loam, 

 preferably more or less sandy and resting upon a 

 porous subsoil 



