Show WIDE USE OF ALFALFA SHOWS remarkable TO VARIOUS CLIMATES now one of staple forage crops of old world and ranks among most important legumes of we western st hemisphere the original h home rime of alfalfa appears to halo been southwest of central asia but from there it has been car ried to practically aery part of the world where agricultural pursuits pui suits are important it ih ib now oni on of the sta pie forage crops ot of clor continent of 0 tho the old world and easily earll takes front rank as the most important ie Eu gu minous forage crop of 0 the hemisphere the nime name alfalfa lii Is of arabic origin and means the best fodder the southern european nime a of f lucerne was las formerly for merl ip plied piled to the plant in the eastern pirt part p of the united states and in utah but this name has practically given wa ina to the name alfalfa 1 ader which it was atas introduced b the spaniards Spin lards the persians Pei knera apparently the first nation which grew gren this plant the abes took it with them when they invaded greece about B C the in tro of alfilda into spain was as during the moorish invasion in the eighth century A D the spaniards introduced it 11 into mexico plexico and south america during the six bit centar it is reported to hane hae J aal 10 stacking alfalfa the upright piece Is made to turn freely and the pulley at the base Is so P placed ace T that a as the load Is drawn up the rope pulls the arm around so EO that the hay Is deposited in the center of the stack been earned carried northward from old aex lea into what is now non the southern por per tion ot of the united states but it was N as not until 1854 when it was nas taken to san francisco from chi chile ae that its rapid extension oler the I 1 irrigated see sec eions of the western states corn fenced its culture has since been extended to many man of the sections of the west the history ot of alfalfa in the east ern states runs back tor for at least two ceu centuries as the colonists made re heated attempts to establish it the attempts on the part of the amerl amen can colonists to establish it were nere un successful the limestone region ot of central new neni york probably conati atutes the area of 0 its longest continued culture in an section ot of the east in south carolina there is a field reported to be 75 ears old alfalfa has also been gronn gron locally in most at 0 the eastern states lor for many man years ears the black prairie soils ot of alabama and mississippi are proving especially adapted to alfalfa the successful districts hane haie usually been the some what nhat limited area of limestone soils where the conditions are especially suited to the plant the recent efforts looking to its fur ther extension throughout the east and south indicate that the chances of 0 success increase greatly as the cial requirements lor for its production are understood and provided tor for so far as climate is concerned al falfa can be grown in enery state in tile the union it is homeier bov hoA eier very ver ex acting in the humid sections as to soil arid and treatment the hardy strains are i ble to withstand the severe M finters enters jt f the north central states it is 13 raised it hout irrigation in semiarid semi arid sections ft here the rainfall Is only 14 inches a ear prid end also in the gulf states where the annual rainfall may amount to 65 inches A rainfall of inches a year is ample for this crop and an amount in excess of this is usually a detriment in moist ell nates mates the soil boll Is frequently sour and the clay soils f specially especially are apt to be too poorly drained in such a climate weeds needs and fungus diseases prove much more injurious than under less humid conditions although tile the adaptability of alfalfa is great yet et in tho areas not perfectly suited to its production care is feces sary to pro provide ide the eri eri favorable con editions required by b the oung plants in order to overcome the natural dran drai backs |