Show VALUE OF F ALFALFA Some Notes on Its History Growth Seeding and Handling Of 0 All Crops In Irrigated Territory It Is Chief One and as a Forage It Excels Everything In Yields and Cost By PROF ELIAS NELSON As a forage alfalfa excels all crops In yield co cot of t t- t tot ot of production and feeding reedIng reed feed ing value Of all crops it Is our chief one ono Alfalfa or lucerne botanically known as sativa saliva is a native native native na na- na- na tive of Asia coming from the region of Persia It belong to the pea family fam fam- family ily By which also embraces the clovers field peas vetches soy beans cow cowpeas cowpeas cowpeas peas and As forage all these leguminous plants are characterized character character- by their high protein contents They differ from other field crops in I that they are able to utilize atmospheric atmospheric atmos atmos- nitrogen Alfalfa was introduced Introduced Introduced Intro Intro- by the into Mexico Chile and Peru and it is chiefly from these countries that It found Its way Into the tho western United States wh where re reft It ft Is generally known by the Spanish name alfalfa The cultivation of alfalfa for several sev sev- several eral hundred years In arid acid America has produced a somewhat distinct type known as the American or western alfalfa That type succeeds succeeds suc- suc in the middle Rocky mountain r region gJon from Texas to South Dakota eastward to the Mississippi river and beyond and In the Pacific northwest It is is' is the alf alfalfa with which we are familiar Besides this this- type four others are found In inthe the United States The Turkestan type type out yields it at higher altitudes and in the more severe severe severe se se- se- se vere climates to the northward The taller but less hardy types the Arabian Arabian Arabian Ara Ara- bian and the Peruvian are better adapted to the southwest Another type tho the German has out yielded the American in some of the eastern states While we recognize five fairly distinct dis dis- regional types of alfalfa in the United States all belonging to the same species there is but one named variety the Grimm alfalfa That Isa is isa isa a hardy bardy sort grown to some exten extent t In Montana and North Dakota We Ve know that there are many different t agricultural varieties of the various recognized types In almost any alfalfa alfalfa alfalfa al al- al- al falfa field may be found Individual plants differing one from another in one or more particulars such as habit habitor or growth form and size of leaves density of foliage succulence of stems and color of flowers There are also differences as regards drought tance vigor of growth resistance to heat and cold and seed production Some of the experiment stations of the different states have undertaken the selection and breeding of alfalfa the Wyoming Plant and Breeding company at Worland Vorland Is growing 4 40 varieties Fourteen types and varieties varieties varieties varie varie- ties have been started at the auxiliary station at Caldwell Idaho among them a yellow Siberian alfalfa Besides the common alfalfa the Turkestan Is handled by most seeds seeds- men and the Grimm alfalfa may be procured from certain firms The ordinary ordinary ordinary or or- alfalfa is sufficiently hardy and succeeds practically throughout out Idaho At the higher altitudes the Turkestan and the Grimm Grimm- f may do better but at elevation of and under those varieties no advantages advantages advantages ad ad- vantages over oyer the common sort in fact it is superior them in productive productive- ness land Dry alfalfa Is merely the common alfalfa which through continuous continuous continuous con con- culture without ut irr irritation irrigation tion on arid land has acquired more mohr or less resisting drought-resisting qualities In most of the arid states Alfalfa Is chiefly grown with irrigation While drought resisting drought resisting and adapted t to arid conditions it responds to irrigation asno as asno asno no other forage crop does Vast areas of sage brush lands are being brought under cultivation and a large percentage percent percent- age of these lands will wili an and ought to tobe tobe tobe be devoted to the culture of alfalfa |