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 thas 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. 
Tt 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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