ALFALFA 1 37 



followed by them and also by millets. It may also 

 follow and precede corn, or the non-saccharine sor- 

 ghums, where the climatic conditions are suitable for 

 growing the latter. 



In the irrigated regions of the West, alfalfa may 

 be made to serve almost any purpose in the rota- 

 tion that may be desired. By growing it as a rota- 

 tion crop in these valleys it may be made to furnish 

 the soil indefinitely with supplies of nitrogen and 

 humus. In these soils it may be made to follow 

 directly almost any crop grown on them, and sim- 

 ilarly it may be made to precede the growth of 

 almost any crop for which the locality has marked 

 adaptation. Small cereal grains, timothy, vege- 

 tables, field roots, potatoes, corn, small fruits and 

 orchards may be profitably grown on buried alfalfa 

 meadows. This does not imply, however, that alfalfa 

 meadows should not, as a rule, be maintained for 

 a long term of years. 



Preparing the Soil. — In preparing the soil for 

 alfalfa the aim should be to make a seed-bed clean, 

 rich, fine, moist, even, and sufficiently firm or friable, 

 according to the conditions. The subsoil should also 

 be made sufficiently dry and open. From what has 

 just been said, it will be apparent that in properly 

 preparing the seed-bed, it will be necessary to study 

 closely the requisite conditions. 



The advantage from having a clean seed-bed will 

 be apparent when it is called to mind that alfalfa 

 is a somewhat delicate plant when young, and that 

 because of this, it is ill able to overcome in the fight 

 ^^'ith weeds. Cleanness in the surface soil may be 



