Show OF ALFALFA SHOWS remarkable TO VARIOUS CLIMATES now one of staple forage crops sf old world and ranks among most important legumes of west ern hemisphere the original home ot alfalfa appears to have been southwest of central asia but from there it has been car ried to practically every part of the world where agricultural pursuits are important it is now one of the eta pie forage crops ot every continent of the old world and easily takes front rank as the most important ie forage crop of the western hemisphere the name alfalfa Is of arabic origin and means the best odder the southern european name af pf formerly applied ta ahe plant tn the eastern part 0 the united states and utah bt this name has practically given the name alfalfa under which it was introduced by the spaniards the persians were apparently the first nation which grew this plant they took it with them when they in evaded greece about B C the in of alfalfa into spain was probably during the moorish invasion in the eighth century A D the spaniards introduced it into meic and south america during tha alx lx century it Is reported to have Stack hig alfalfa the upright Is wade to turn freely and th purcy at the base Is eo placed tha at the load la drawn up the rop pull the arm around so that the hay la deposited in the center of tha stack been carried northward from old mex aco into what la now the southern portion of he united states but it was not until 1854 when it was taken to san francisco from chile that its rapid extension over the irrigated sections of the western elates commenced its culture has since been extended to many of the sections of the west the history of alfalfa in the east ern states runs back for at least two centuries aa the colonists made repeated attempts to establish it the attempts on the part of the amerl can colonists to establish it ft ere un successful the limestone region of central new lork probably consal atutes the area of its longest continued culture in any section of the east in south carolina there Is a field reported to be 75 years old alfalfa has also been grown locally in most of the eastern states tor many years the black prairie soils of alabama and mississippi are proving especially adapted to alfalfa the successful districts have usually been the somewhat limited area of limestone soils where the conditions are especially suited to the plant the recent efforts looking to its further extension throughout the east and south indicate that the chances of success increase greatly as the special requirements tor its production are understood and provided tor so tar as climate Is concerned al falta can be gron in every state in the union it is however very ex acting in sections as to soil and treatment the hardy strains are able to withstand the severe winters of the north central states it Is raised without irrigation in semi arid sections where the rainfall Is only 14 inches a year aind also in the gulf states where the annual rainfall may amount to 65 inches A rainfall of 36 inches a year la ample for this crop and an amount in excess of this Is usually a detriment in moist climates the soil is frequently sour and the clay soils especially are apt to be too poorly drained in such a climate weeds and fungus diseases prove much more injurious than under less humid conditions although the adaptability of alfalfa la great yet in tho areas not perfectly suited to its successful production care is necessary to provide the very favorable conditions required by the young plants in order to overcome the natural drawbacks |