102 FIELD SEEDS—(Continued) 
State Nursery and Seed Co. 
THE NEW SENSATIONAL LEGUME 
That Thrives on ALKALI Land 
Astragalus Rubyi 
ASTRAGALUS RUBYI 
A GREAT HAY PRODUCER 
WILL CROWD THE WEEDS OUT 
A HARDY, LONG-LIVED PERENNIAL 
HIGH IN FEED VALUE 
LIVESTOCK OF ALL KINDS RELISH IT 
LESS DANGER OF BLOATING THAN ALFALFA 
OR CLOVER 
STORY OF THE SENSATIONAL NEW LEGUME, ASTRAGALUS RUBYI 
Astragalus Rubyi—the new legume that thrives on alkaline soil—- 
was first found in 1926 by John Masolo on his ranch in the Ruby 
Valley, Montana. This plant thrived on bottom land containing alkali, 
and turned this worthless land into beautiful fields producing at least 
four tons of hay to the acre. 
A. Rubyi makes an abundant growth from the crown of a woody 
root. It spreads out over the ground for 2 to 3 feet as a dense mat 
and soon crowds out weeds and other vegetation, forming relatively 
pure stands. Th slender stems of the plant may grow to 4 feet in 
length and bear many leaves 3 to 5 inches long. Each leaf has about 
six pairs of leaflets and a terminal leaflet. Each leaflet is about 1 
inch long- and % inch wide. It is a very prolifit producer of seed, which 
is somewhat smaller than alfalfa or sweet clover seed. 
The roots are similar to those of alfalfa and bear many nodules. 
The flowers are small, less than % inches long, and purplish in color. 
The pods are small, numerous, about % inch long, and usually contain 
about 10 seeds. The growth is indeterminate; therefore there are 
mature pods, immature pods, and flowers occurring on the same stem. 
It is cut, cured, and stacked like alfalfa. The yield of hay from 
this plant averages about 4 tons to the acre. 
It produces only one hay crop a year; however, it does thrive on 
land that is not suitable for alfalfa, and the hay is of very high quality 
and all kinds of stock seem to relish it. 
Feed analysis made show that it is like alfalfa as regards its 
content of protein, nitrogen-free extract, crude fibre, ether extract, and 
ash. Another characteristic of this plant is that it contains a high 
percentage of phosphorous, considerably higher than alfalfa growing 
in the same region. This is very important because the soil generally 
in this particular section is deficient in phosphorous and livestock 
often show the effect of phosphorous-deficiency when fed only native 
grass. 
This plant will undoubtedly have an important economic place in 
reclaiming low, damp bottom-land as well as uplands. It may be used 
either as a forage or as a soiling crop. 
Astragalus Rubyi starts slowly, growing but three or four inches 
above the ground the first year after the seed is sown, but the follow¬ 
ing- year the plants grow two or three feet high, and some on the 
John Masolo ranch have extended as much as seven feet, making a 
dense mat killing out all weeds, even Russian and Canadian Thistles, 
and forming a relatively pure stand. 
If you want to increase production on your land, you can do so 
with the new Astragalus plant. Plant some of this seed this year on 
your farm, now. The seed can be easily disced in in the spring or fall. 
Seven pounds will plant an acre very nicely. 
We are offering fancy recleaned new crop scarified seed grown 
by Mr. Masolo, the originator. 
OUR SEED IS RECLEANED AND SCARIFIED 
PRICES OF ASTRAGALUS RUBYI SEED 
1 
to 
10 
lbs. 
at 
85c 
per 
lb. 
11 
to 
25 
lbs. 
at 
80c 
per 
lb. 
26 
to 
50 
lbs. 
at 
75c 
per 
lb. 
51 
to 
100 
lbs. 
at 
70c 
per 
lb. 
O v 
e r 
100 
lbs. 
at 
65c 
per 
lb 
F. O. B. Helena—Subject to Being Unsold 
SPECIAL 
Our NIr. W. J. Mills and Mr. Massolo Looking at a 
Stack of Astragalus Hay in the Ruby Valley. 
Threshing Our 103G Crop of the New Legume Seed. 
These Fields Were White With Alkali, hut the 
Stand and Growth of Astragalus Was Extremely 
Heavy. 
