H. G. Hastings Co., Seedsmen, Atlanta, Georgia 
12 
ALFALFA 
Alfalfa or Lucerne Clover 
OR LUCERNE CLOVER 
We are again using this illustration of Alfalfa, not because of any special beauty but because 
it splendidly illustrates the wonderful deep rooting qualities of this most valuable plant for 
the South after it has been established three or four years. 
If there is one plant in the world, outside of the great staples of wheat, corn, cotton and oats, 
that is more talked about, written about and studied about than any other it’s this plant, it's 
Alfalfa. This is not only true of the United States, but it true of all the civilized world. It's 
one of the most adaptable plants in the world, seemingly growing under almost every condi¬ 
tion of soil, climate and elevation. We have seen it growing luxuriantly on the highly culti¬ 
vated farms of France, we have seen it up near the Canadian line, in the far off states of Ore¬ 
gon and Washington, we have seen it grow in greatest luxuriance in the extreme burning heat 
of the below sea‘level desert valleys of Southern California, and we have seen thousands of 
acres of it in the high plateau country of Southern Mexico, nearly 8,000 feet above sea level. 
It is a wonderful plant, wonderful in its adaptability to so many parts of the world, wonder¬ 
ful in its long life and heavy yield, wonderful in its high value as a stock food. 
OUR MOST VALUABLE PERMANENT CLOVER 
That’s exactly what it is, the most valuable permanent clover in the world, and every year 
sees hundreds of thousands of acres of permanent Alfalfa fields added to the farms of this 
country, and we want to assure you that if there was an acre to an acre and a half of Alfalfa 
established on every “one horse’’ farm in the South the owners of these farms need never worry 
about buying hay or forage, and it would also largely take the place of corn. We have seen 
work stock in Southern California in the finest condition we ever saw horses and mules in and 
they don’t get a peck of grain from one year’s end to another. They get all they want of Al¬ 
falfa hay and that’s enough. They have the muscles to do the work and yet keep fat; not the 
little 8U0 to 1,000 pound mules that are so common here, but 1,300 to 1,600 pound horses and 
mules that have actually got the pulling power. Alfalfa is just about as nutritious hay as you 
can grow, and once well established and cared for it’s there to stay, that is, on land where 
water is not too near the surface. We understand that there is one patch of Alfalfa now in 
Middle Georgia some 42 years old that is better now than when 2 and 3 years old. What do 
you think of a single sowing lasting over 40 years? It’s a stayer and it’s been piling up hay 
for its owner right along, furnishing 4 good cuttings a year and sometimes 5, practically 5 
tons per acre per year. Alfalfa hay is selling in Atlanta now at about $30.00 per ton. Do you 
know any better paying farming than that? We don’t. 
Surface rooting crops soon exhaust certain plant food elements near the surface and cease 
to do well. They also suffer from drought. Alfalfa roots go down 10, 20, even 30 feet. They 
bring up plant food Jhat no other crop can ever reach. They are beyond the reach of the seri¬ 
ous effects of any drought we ever have. Those are the reasons why Alfalfa is permanent. 
WHY DON’T YOUR FARM GROW ALFALFA? 
It’s a fair question. Here is the most valuable hay and feeding crop in the world, and we 
believe we are safe in saying that not one farm in five hundred east of the Mississippi River 
and south of Tennessee has an Alfalfa patch. 
Now, a great many of our people have planted more or less Alfalfa and failed. Why? In 
practically every instance it has been because of lack of proper preparation of the soil and 
planting at the wrong season of the year. We advise above all things fall planting, September 
15th to October 25th being the best time. The reason for it is this: Alfalfa in this section of 
the country starts off slowly. Practically all of our lands are foul with weed and grass seed 
and with spring planting the weeds and grass almost invariably choke out the young Alfalfa, 
kill it by smothering before it gets a chance to grow. With fall planting, while the top growth 
is small all during the winter these wonderful roots of Alfalfa are penetrating down deep and 
when growing weather comes it shoots up ahead of and chokes the weeds and grass. 
Another point: Hardly one farmer in a hundred puts enough preparation on the soil before 
the crop is planted. There is too much rough cloddy ground, too many lumps that the young 
clover or grass plants can neither go around, push over or penetrate. This makes bad stands. 
In getting land ready for any clover or grass crop it should be plowed deep, harrowed and re¬ 
harrowed and dragged until it is smooth and fine. You can’t get it too fine and smooth and 
every extra day’s work put into the preparation means many dollars in the succeeding hay 
crops. This thorough preparation is mighty good for any crop, but it’s an absolute necessity 
for any grass and clover crop. 
Now—back to the question—Why don’t your farm grow Alfalfa? Have you failed in the 
past? If so, has it not been from planting in the spring instead of fall, or has it been from 
lack of proper preparation of the soil. Has it been because you haven't wanted to take chances 
and have never tried? If you do your part well there is mighty little chance of failure. 
INOCULATION OF SEED AND LIMING OF THE SOIL 
In addition to the thorough preparation of the soil outlined above and more fully covered by 
our “Grass and Clover Book,” which you can have a free copy of if you will ask for it, it seems 
to be necessary to lime the soil thoroughly and inoculate the seed. 
Now Alfalfa don’t take up lime and it’s not a necessary plant food, but all of our soils in the 
Southeast seem to be more or less acid and Alfalfa will not grow in soil in which there is an 
acid condition. An average quantity, say about 25 to 30 bushels of air-slacked lime per acre, 
or one to two tons of fine ground limestone, applied broadcast on the surface and plowed in 
will thoroughly sweeten almost any acid soil and put it in the very best condition for seeding. 
This takes out all sourness which seems to be deadly to young Alfalfa plants. 
With a valuable and permanent crop like Alfalfa it's well worth while to do everything pos¬ 
sible to insure full success, no matter whether it be in soil preparation, liming and seed in¬ 
oculation. There are a great many people who do not understand this matter of seed inocu¬ 
lation. We believe fully in its value and importance, yes, necessity in starting Alfalfa in sec¬ 
tions and on farms on which it has not been grown. Alfalfa from inoculated seed will make 
four to six times the growth that seed not treated will. For full information as to the matter 
of inoculation of seed of Alfalfa and other leguminous crops see page 17. 
ALL OUR ALFALFA 98 PER CENT PURE OR OVER 
Immense quantities of low grade foreign grown Alfalfa seed, full of weeds, trash, etc., have 
been dumped into the United States in past years. There is also much American Alfalfa full 
of dangerous weeds and the buyer of Alfalfa seed cannot be too careful in purchasing seed. If 
some weeds get a start in your fields success is impossible. We handle no Alfalfa seed less 
than 98% purity according to United States Department of Agriculture tests. Most of our Al¬ 
falfa seed runs 99% to 99%% pure. If von are offered Alfalfa seed at a low price we advise 
you to send.a sample to Washington for testing. The Department of Agriculture will tell you 
the quality of any small sample of grass or clover seed you send them. 
Now as to prices. Grasses and clovers fluctuate and change prices from time to time. It you 
wish to buy in quantity write us when ready to buy, stating quantity wanted. We will quote 
you lowest market price at that time and mail small samples of the seed. Pound, by mail, post¬ 
paid, 40 cents; 3 pounds, postpaid, $1.10. At time this catalogue goes to printer, price of best 
grade Alfalfa seed is about 30 cents per pound. 
