Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 35, Number 80, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 June 1903 — ALFALFA. [ARTICLE]

ALFALFA.

General Characteristic* el the Crip. (Purdue University agricultural Experiment Station. | In localities where it will thrive, alfalfa is withont doubt one of tbe very best forage orops grown. It probably stand* at the heed of the list, both in the amount of forage produced and feeding value of the earns. It is readily eaten by nearly all classes of farm animals. Of tbe ordinary Indiana orops, alfalfa moat nearly resembles red clover in it* habits and feeding qualities. It contains tbe largest amount of protein or flesh forming material, of any of the forage orops. It is for this reason, extremely valuable to combine with snch material as wheat straw, corn fodder and timothy hay, whioh are defloient in protein. As a practical illustration of the feeding value of alfalfa, it may be stated that a great many work horses in tbe alfalfa growing seotions cf the south-west to reoeive □o other feed. It is not reoommended to feed alfalfa alone, however, ae better results can be secured by combining it with other foods less rich in protein. Alfalfa, timothy and oorn make an ideal combination.

Alfalfa is one of the deepest rooted of cultivated plants. This gives it a great advantage over surface feeding plants, such as wheat, as it is able to draw on a much larger body of soil for its food. It is for this reason, an excellent soiling crop, the deeply penetrating roots enabling the plant to draw up food material from the subsoil, and store a large amount of it in the large roots and crowns near, the surfaoe. - The stubble and roots on an acre of mature alfalfa contain something like 535.00 worth of fertilizing material, at ourrent market prices. As a soiling orop, however, it has the disadvantage of being slow to start and difficult to plow op when onoe thoroughly established. Alfalfa will grow on almost any good, rioh, well drained soil, but a rather loose soil, such as a saudy loam, whioh will allow the roots to penetrate readily, is most desirable. Very fair alfalfa, however, can be grown on clay Alfalfa is more suitable for hay than pasture, as it is easily tramped out and will not dose oropping. It is even worse than clover to cause bloat, and should, therefore, be fed to cattle with oaution, especially when green. As to fertilizers for alfalfa, the power of the plant to draw nitrogen from the air should be utilized to provide most of that element. If the soil is deficient in phosphorio acid and potash, these elements should be applied in the form of commercial fertilizers or otherwise. If the land has any tendency to acidity, lime should be applied liberally, as the plant is particularly adapted to alkaline soils well supplied with lime.