66 ALFALFA FARMING IN AMERICA. 
near Marysville in the Sacramento Valley in 1851, who continued 
until he had 270 acres in 1858. 
Question: What was the source of the seed? 
Answér: From Chili and the plant was called Chili clover until 
its Spanish name alfalfa was taken up. It was some time later 
when its botanical identity with lucerne was known. 
Question: Were there many alfalfa fields or patches in use by 
the Mexicans, or earlier Californians, prior to the occupation by 
the United States? 
Answer: I never heard of any. Introduction is believed to 
have been by Americans from Chili with which country there 
was much trade and where stops were made coming round The 
Horn. 
Question: What is the oldest alfalfa field that you know of to 
day, and about how many years? 
Answer: I have no definite instance. The plant on good soil— 
that is free soil where no root injury comes from standing water 
—is counted upon for more than 20 years of profitable growth. 
Question: About what percentage of carbonate of lime exists in 
the most productive alfalfa soils of California? 
Answer: We are now growing alfalfa on nearly all productive 
soils, the acreage on the heavier soils, formerly held to be un. 
suitable, increasing every year. The average lime in California 
soils (average of 262 analyses) is 1.25%. 
Question: What would you consider an average yearly pro- 
duction per acre of alfalfa hay? 
Answer: Five tons. 
Question: What is the maximum that you have known? 
Answer: I cannot be sure but think it has gone up to 12 tons, 
Question: We hear very astonishing stories of long alfalfa 
roots; how long a one have you actually seen measured, or had 
knowledge of that you considered authentic? 
Answer: 24 feet but others claim up to 30 feet. 
Concerning Henry Miller’s alfalfa I wrote in 
‘‘The Breeder’s Gazette’’ in September of 1900 as 
follows: 
Away back in 1850 there landed in San Francisco a lad with 
fifty cents in his pocket, a brave heart and a determination to 
work and succeed in this new world. He went to work in a 
butcher shop. Soon he had a small shop of his own. Then it 
was a large shop. Then he bought, in 1858, a little land on which 
to hold some cattle. In 1860 he bought land in the San Joaquin 
