r, the roots have filled the soil with
organic matter, improving the physical condition of the soil and
subsoil.

[Illustration: Alfalfa on the Ohio State University Farm.]

Another gain is found in the content of phosphoric acid and potash in
the manure, much of which was drawn from soil supplies out of reach of
the other farm crops. The profit from introduction of alfalfa into a
region's agriculture is very great.

Alfalfa makes a nutritious and palatable feed for livestock. A ton
contains as much digestible protein as 1600 pounds of wheat bran.

Climate and Soil.--The experimentation with alfalfa by farmers has been
wide-spread, and the percentage of failure has been so large that many
have believed this legume was unfitted to the climate and soil of the
country east of the Missouri River. Successful experience has shown
that it can be made to take a considerable place in eastern
crop-schemes. The climate is not unfavorable, as is evidenced by large
areas of good alfalfa sods on thousands of farms. The abundant rainfall
brings various weeds and grasses into competition with it, and that
will remain a serious drawback until growers learn to clean their
surface soils by good tillage before seeding.

Any land that is sufficiently well drained to produce a good corn crop
in a wet summer can grow alfalfa if the seed-bed is rightly made. The
loose soils are more difficult to seed successfully than is the land
having enough clay to give itself body, although most experimenters
select their most porous soils. All farms having good tilth can bring
alfalfa into their crop-rotations.

Free Use of Lime.--The conditions requisite to success in
alfalfa-growing are not numerous, but none can be neglected. Alfalfa
should be given a calcareous soil when possible, but an acid soil can
be made favorable to alfalfa by the free use of lime. There must remain
a liberal amount after the soil deficiency has been met, and when the
use of lime is on a liberal scale, the pulverized limestone makes the
safest carrier. However, 50 bushels of stone-lime per acre can be used
safely on any land that is not distinctly sandy, and that amount is
adequate in most instances.

Inoculation.--The necessity of inoculation has been discussed in
Chapter IV. Eastern land would become inoculated for alfalfa if farmers
would adopt the practice of mixing a little alfalfa with red clover
whenever making seedings. Some alfalfa plants usually make growth,
s