Alfalfa For Livestock

Alfalfa is truly a wonderful crop; a hardy, deep-rooted, long-lived, drought resistant legume plant; a nearly perfect forage; a very important crop for all parts of South Dakota. Alfalfa should be a permanent crop on every South Dakota farm. There is no crop that farmers can grow that will return as high an acre value for the labor expended upon it. Alfalfa has no superior as a hog pasture. It will withstand dry weather and in addition, it will furnish green feed over a longer period than any other legume. As it is a source of cheap, homegrown protein-both as hay and pasture-it has a very important part to play in the production of low-cost livestock. It is not to be considered as a crop for rotation purposes, as a good stand of alfalfa should last at least six or seven years. With two or three cuttings each year, an abundant crop can be realized from a single seeding. It is an important soil builder. Eastern South Dakota contains an average of only 6112 acres per farm. Considering its many profitable uses, this is entirely too small an acreage of this valuable crop. The amount that should be grown on each farm will depend upon the size of the farm and the number of livestock kept. Renters should insist on a sma11 acreage at least, and far-sighted landlords cannot help but come to the conclusion that it is a valuable addition to their property