November 20 , 1809. OMAHA 1LJATSTUATED BE.E.
- Alfalfa Fields the Gold
* Mines of Nebraska
At various times In the history of Ne
braska discoveries of gold have been an
nounced. While It is assured that some
gold has been found in Nebraska , It Is
equally assured that it occurs tn such small
quantities that It does not pay for the ex
pense of extracting It from the soil. In re
cent years another gold mlno has been dis
covered , which yields rich returns and will
never bo worked out. The alfalfa fields are
the gold mines of Nebraska.
Alfalfa Is usually referred to as a sort
of clover. Botanlcally considered It Is u
species of the genus medlcago , under the
order of legumlnosac , while the clovers are
classed under the genus trltollum of the
same order. Alfalfa , therefoie , Is only a
second ccusln of the clovers. It Is n hardy
perennial , which comes to maturity In the
first year.
When a farmer emigrates to n new state
with sell and climatic conditions differing
from those of his former homo It Is essen
tial that he study the new conditions and
readjust his farming ideas to fit them. He
must adjust himself and his crops to the
soil and climate , for they will not change
for him. He may have lived on the low
flat lands of Indiana , where ho laid tiling to
drain his land and plowed deeply to break
up the hard clay soil. He raised corn and
sold It. To better his condition he came to
Nebraska , the land of good roads and
healthful climate. He settles on a farm In
the sub-arid district and plants corn as be
fore. But , though ho "plows deep while
sluggards sleep , " ho remains ptor. Ho per
sists in depending solely on corn In a region
where corn Is an uncertain crop. He gets
into the rut of one of his furrows and stays
there , when , if ho would cease to put his
dependence altogether In ecrn and seed most
of his land In alfalfa , ho would have started
on the safe road to prosperity. Alfalfa has
been grown long enough In Nebraska to
prcvo that It Is the salvation of the so-
called "drouth districts. "
EvteiiNlvc Culture Recent.
The extensive culture of alfalfa as a forage
plant is comparatively recent , but experi
ments have been made with It in eastern
states for many years. In the "Transactions
of the Society for the Promotion of Agri
culture , " published at Albany , N. Y. , in 1801 ,
favorable mention is made of it. From that
date various farm Journals and agricultural
(
reports mention it and recommend the crop
to eastern farmers. The details of growing
and harvesting and the use and value of
alfalfa as a forage plant are not so generally
known as are the older crops , but each year
farmers are becoming better Informed con
cerning it and the acreage Is Increasing.
The crop has never obtained an extensive
foothold east of the Missouri , probably on
.t. account of some misapprehension concerning
it. It Is amusing to read the sober opinion
of some learned agriculturists of a few
years ago that "alfalfa will not thrive on
sandy and gravelly soil , but requires rich ,
loamy land and should be very heavily
manured before seeding. " Experience has
demonstrated that alfalfa thrives best in
sandy soil , that rich loam is not required
thick as they should have been. On land
In which the surface Is sand the seed may bo
put In with a press drill without plowing ,
the bunch-grass common to .such lands serv
ing to keep the seed from being blown out by
the wind. In largo areas of the sandhill
country this plan is the best one to follow.
It may bo sown any time after spring and
later , tajdng care that a suluolont growth
will be made before frcst comes to Insure its
life till the following spring. The favorite
time for sowing Is In July or August. One
advantage of this Is that on lands suitable
for small grain n crop may bo harvested
before sowing to alfalfa , thus avoiding the
loss of use for a year. It Is essential that
the alfalfa should not be allowed to go to
seed the first year , as this materially weak
ens the growth. Those who have had cx-
LOADING WAGONS IN ALFALFA FIELDS.
and manuring is altogether superfluous.
Those lands of Nebraska which are un-
eulted to corn are the lands which are
specially suited to alfalfa. Most of th6
plants of the order legurainosae , to which
alfalfa belongs , thrive In dry soils. Though
the great essential of alfalfa Is water , it Is
not necessary that It receive It as rainfall ,
but only that its roots may find water.
Throughout the Platte valley water is very
near the surface. The eoll Is sandy , without
clay barupan , and the waters of the Platte
and its tributaries are absorbed and held as
in a wpcnge. Where nature has been stingy
In the average amount of rainfall it has
generously provided a storage system by
which the mountain snows are held for
future use. It only remains for the Ne
braska farmer to learn what crops can make
the best use of this stored moisture. When
the alfalfa seed has been safely germinated
its roots will reach downward to the damp
sand and find moisture to keep It growing.
MutlioilH of Cultivation.
Methods of preparing the ground and seed
ing vary according to soil and location.
Land which Is hard la thoroughly plowed
and harrowed until finely pulverized. The
seed may bo sown broadcast or put in with
a press drill. Twenty to twenty-four pounds
of seed are used to the acre. In this as In
similar crops it payo to bo generous with
seed. Some fields now growing are not as
perlence say It should bo cut but once the
(
first year , fcr two cuttings are almost sure
to kill. After the first year , however , It Is
cut regularly three times a season and may
often be cut four times.
The picture shows a plant two months old
and illustrates the rapid growth , especially
of the root. The seed was sown July 12
and the plant taken up September 15. It has
two long stems and several others starting.
The root measures fifteen Inches in length
and the long stem fourteen inches. A plant
four years old was examined which had 100
stems of varying length and the root of
which measured four and one-half inches in
circumference at the top and six feet in
length. Alfalfa does not spread from stolous
aa- does white clover , but thickens at the
crown of the root. The tap root extends
straight down , slender the first year , in
creasing in size and length with agesend-
Ing off an occasional prong and numerous
rootlets.
AH a Profitable Crop.
A conservative estimate places the sea
son's crop of three cuttings at three , tons per
acre , but it has been known to yield six tons
per acre. When it Is berne in mind that
this crop Is certain every year for an In
definite term of years , It will bo seen that
alfalfa Is Indeed a wonderful crop. It does
not exhaust the soil , for It contains a very
finall percentage of phosphates and its
roots go to great depths. Many plants of
this order have this peculiarity of being a
benefit to the land Instead of reducing it.
It is conjectured that thej ; derive much of
their nourishment from the atmosphere and
in some way exert a disintegrating Influence
en the alkalis of the soil. Experiments In
eastern states deduced the fact -that lands
which produced a poor yield of wheat , after
being laid down in alfalfa for n number of
years were again sown In wheat , produced
a much greater yield than before.
Whether fed to stock green or cured
alfalfa has proven Itself wonderfully
nutritious , It Is cut when Just coming Into
bloom , usually having an average height of
two feet or over while It Is succulent and
tender and before the stems become woody , !
It should bo well cured bcforo stacking , for
If stacked too green the fermentation of the
Juices will cause it to heat and spoil , Fed
as hay It will bring horses , cattle , sheep or
hogs through the winter In good condition !
without grain , Fed to milch cows It Insures
a gocd yield of rich milk. It Is especially
valuable for growing animals and far
( Continued on Sixteenth Page. )
Nebraska Telephone
Company Improvements
During the present year the Nebraska
Telephone company has built nearly one
thousand miles of now pole llnra for toll line
purposes. H has built lines from Genoa to
Albion and from Ornml Island to St. Paul ,
Scotia , North Loup and Ord , and from Kear
ney to 121m Creek , Overtoil and Lexington ,
and fioin Grand Island to Hastings ; and
frtm Junlatn to Koncsaw , Rosclnnd , Mlndun ,
Keene , Holdroge , Lormls. Hertrand , Oxford ,
Arnpnhie , Heaver City , Cambildge , Indlan-
ola , Red Willow and Mcfo k , and fiom Ed
gar to Nelson and Superior ; and from Fnlr-
hury to Hubbell , Chester , Superior , Guide
Hick , Hod Cloud , nioomlngton , Almn , Or
leans and Mnhcot ; and from Pawnee City to
Uurchard , Stolnnuor , Liberty and Wymoroj
and fiom Plckrell to DoWitt ; and from
Cortland to Filth and Adams ; and from
Lincoln to Raymond and Valparaiso ; and
fiom Union to Avica , Weeping Water ,
Wabash , Murdock and Elmwood ; and from
MOWING THE ALFALFA.
Platte Center to Madi.son via Humphrey ;
and lines are now being constructed from
Battle Creek to Tllden , Oakdalo , Elgin and
Nellgh ; also frcni Norfolk to Pleice. Os
mend , Plainview and Crelghton. During
this year exchanges have been built at Alma ,
Ames , Falrlleld , Geneva , Iloldrege , Mlnden ,
McCook , Nclhon , Red Cloud , St. Paul , Te-
kamah , Wymoro and Ord ; and exchanges !
are now being built at Osccola and Stioms-
burg. An exchange will also bo built at
Elk Creek and at Firth and Adams and sev
eral other points.
During the year eighty-three new offices
have been opened and CG4 miles of copper
wire placed as additional circuits on old
poles. Compared with the number of sub
scribers in its territory Nebraska 1ms more
copper metallic circuit toll lines than any
western state.
"The mail is quick , the telegraph la
quicker , but the telephone is instantaneous
and you don't have to wait for an answer. "
All tha Ladle * Bat
Gold Medal
Chocolate Bon bens
l\r
2 , It a nil n Pound HoxeH , UOu n puuni
W. S. Balduff ,
Fnrnam Ht. , Onuiha.
KELSEY & SEABROOK
Wall Paper Dealers
Artistic Wall Paper
of all kinds.
Paints , ( Jil.s , Hrushes , Etc.
Tel. 1(101) . 17th anil DoiiKliiH , Omiiliii.
TEAKETTLE WATER STILL
The Steam of the
Ttiiikottlo Condens
ed IH I'u ro lstlllo | < l
Water. The only
snfti water to drluk ,
Aerutod. Sparkling ,
Good. Kroo from
Alkali , Lime , Mic
robes , Oh capo * t
Kn s t o s t Producer.
Witter conies Cool.
Write for booklet.
mKUTU WAICK MILL CO. , 6322 Urexel Aye. ,
Chicago , III.
Boyles' Commercial
and Shorthand College
MRS. H. U. UOYLUb , ASS'T l 1UNCIPAL. H. 1) ) . IKU i.u.o , , j'UlNCIPAL.
COLLEGE OFFICE.
SECTIONAL VIEW , OFFICE PRACTICE DEPARTMENT.
, PARTIAL VIEW , TYPEWUITINQ DEPARTMENT.
| I3oylcs' Commercial and Shorthand College stands today among the great Commer
cial InHtltutlonH of the west. Two vc-nrs ago thu college was formally opened to the
Iiulillc. The phenomenal success of the ontorpilso and ItH marvelous growth have
surpassed thu moHt Haiiuulno predictions ,
The colli-go occupies the west wing of the fourth door of the Ueo ISulldlni , ' , i"l
the ahovo photographs are hut a Hllghl suggestion of ItH magnlllccnt quarters. This
Institution In recognized by I > UHIICHH | men us holng the most thorough and practical ,
and every Htudunt who IUIH taken the regular courao lias been called upon to 1111 u
pleasant and profitable situation ,