ALFALFA (Sp.. from Ar. al-faefaeah, the best feed), also callea LUCERNE. A legumi nous plant. widely used in Europe and in parts of North and South America as a forage and hay crop for stock. The plant (Medieago satira) is a native of the valleys of central western Asia. It has been cultivated in Europe for more than 2000 years, and was introduced into Mexico and South America at the time of the Spanish conquests. In 1854, it was brought from Chile to California, whence it spread rapid ly over the arid regions of the Pacific and Rocky Mountain States, where it is now more exten sively grown than any other forage crop. The plant is an upright, branching perennial, one to three feet high. with triple parted leaves and purple, pea-like flowers which grow in long, loose clusters. On loose, permeable soils, the top root frequently descends ten to twelve feet, and has been said to reach even fifty feet. Al falfa has been raised with more or less success in different parts of the United States at elevations from sea level to 7000 feet. It grows best on rich, sandy, well-drained hams of a calcareous nature, and does not succeed on damp soils or tenacious clays. It seems especially adapted to the rich soils of the arid West, where water is supplied chiefly by irrigation. Young alfalfa plants are relatively tender, and two years are required thoroughly to establish a field; but when once established, the plant endures for many years. In the United States it is seeded: in the North, in spring; in the South, in either September or February; and in California and the Southwest, from August to the middle of December, and from February to April. Alfalfa
is grown for seed to a considerable extent in Ne braska, Colorado, and Kansas. The crop is cut when the plants are coming into bloom, and again from two to six times, according to the length of the season. The ordinary annual yield varies from three to eight tons of dry hay per acre, and sometimes reaches ten or twelve tons. The crop is seeded either broadcast or in drills, at the rate of fifteen to twenty-five pounds of seed per acre. Alfalfa, like other leguminous plants, takes up nitrogen from the air. It also brings up from the subsoil considerable amounts of potash, phosphoric acid, lime, and other min eral matters. It is therefore valuable for green manuring. The roots and stubble from an acre contain about twenty pounds of phosphoric acid, thirty-eight pounds of potash, and ninety pounds of nitrogen.
A variety of alfalfa known as Turkestan alfal fa (dledicago saliva turkestaniea), is the chief forage plant grown in Central Asia and Turkes tan for cattle. It has been widely tested in the United States. In the States west of the Mississ ippi River and north of Kansas and California, it seems to endure drought better, is not so easily affected by freezing, and gives better results on strong, alkali soils than the alfalfa commonly grown (Medic-ago satira). Two other forms of alfalfa, sometimes cultivated, are the intermedi ate alfalfa (Iledicago media), and the yellow or sand lucerne (Medicago faleata), the seed of which are sometimes used to adulterate that of Medicago saliva. These varieties are not so valu able as the true alfalfa.