it yields from three to twelve tons per acre per season. One experiment station reports that "one acre of alfalfa yields as much protein as three acres of clover, as much as nine acres of timothy and| twelve times as much as an acre of brome-grass." Unless a seed crop is desired, it is cut regularly whenever the first blooms appear, which in some regions is every month in the year, but three to five cuttings per annum would probably be an average range.
It restores and enriches rather than depletes the fertility of the soil in which it grows, supplying it with nitrogen collected from the atmosphere in nodules on its roots, in greatest abundance for other succeeding crops. Its long penetrating roots, reaching to great depths, not only give it unusual powers of resistance to protracted dry weather, but draw from subterranean recesses large quantities of mineral elements which other crops would never reach, and decaying leave these readily available for future crops of whatever kind. The action of its wonderful root-system constitutes it in effect a gigantic subsoiler, and humus is constantly added to the soil by the decay of its fibrous roots, continually branching from the main tap-root. The soils on which alfalfa is grown are wonderfully changed in chemical elements and physical character, and it has been denominated as the greatest fertilizing and soil renovating plant known to agriculture.
Its palatability and succulence cause live stock of all kinds to eat it with extreme relish, uncured or as hay, and it is especially prized as a factor in dairy husbandry, affording at lowest cost the most important ingredients of the feeding rations. It is also used as pasturage, but ruminants such as cattle and sheep are not safely grazed upon it, owing to its liability to cause bloat (hoove), often resulting in speedy death.
No diseases of alfalfa are as yet common in America, and it is said more failures in growing it are caused by weeds than all its other enemies and pests combined. Well-prepared seed-beds and the most favorable conditions are demanded for the prosperity of the seed and the young plants during the earlier stages of their growth, if the fullest measure of success is to be attained. Where-ever extensively grown, alfalfa has revolutionized the conditions of agriculture, and one of the most eminent agricultural and dairy authorities in the United States recently declared it as his belief that "the alfalfa-growing movement is the most important agricultural event of the century." F. D. COBURN.
Alfieri (dZ-/l-d'r£), the founder of Italian tragedy. He was born in Piedmont in 1749, and after a brief period of study at Turin traveled several years on the continent, spending his time, however, in dissipation. A few chance verses, written at the bedside of a friend, stirred in him a passion for tragedy, and he turned his energies to the study of literature. He wrote twenty-one tragedies, besides other poetry, including five odes on the American Revolution. His dramas, though simple in style, held an Italian audience spellbound. Saul is his most successful tragedy. Count Vittorio Alfieri died at Florence in 1803. His tomb is in the church of Santa Croce, in Florence, next to the tomb of Michael Angelo, and over it stands a monument by the sculptor Canova.
Alfonso (alfon'so), a name borne by twenty-two sovereigns in the Spanish peninsula.
Alfonso I of Portugal (1110-1185) was the founder of the Portuguese kingdom. He is said to have been over seven feet in height, and was a successful fighter against the Moors and Spaniards.
Alfonso VI, of Leon and Castile (1030-1109), inherited only a part of his father's kingdom, in which his brother and sister shared, but by a series of wars he conquered the greater part of their territories, and fought the Moors vigorously.
Alfonso X, of Leon and Castile, was engaged during his reign in putting down revolts, in fighting the Moors and in two attempts to make himself emperor of Germany. Era, 1221-1284.
Alfonso V, of Aragon, also ruler, of Sicily, Sardinia and Naples, was born in 1385. His determination to conquer Naples, after long wars, at great odds, was finally successful. Alphonso was one of the best kings of his name. He was brave, showed great generalship, was generous, loved books, and gave encouragement to law and justice. He died at Naples in 1458.
Alfonso XIII, king of Spain, is the son of Alfonso XII of Spain and of Maria Christina, Archduchess of Austria. Alfonso XIII was born on May 17, 1886, shortly after the death of his father, and during his minority his mother acted as regent. Before he ascended the throne, there were serious uprisings in the Philippine Islands and in Cuba. In 1898 war broke out between the United States and Spain, and as a result of it Spain lost Cuba, Porto Rico and the Philippines. The young king took the oath of office May 17, 1902, and shows strong tendencies towards progressiveness in government. In 1906, he married the Princess Victoria Eugenia, daughter of the late Prince Henry of Battenburg and Princess Beatrice, youngest child of Queen Victoria of England. An heir to the throne was born May 10, 1907. Another son was born June 22,1908.
Alfred the Great, king of the West Saxons, was born at Wantage, Berkshire, in 849. The youngest of four sons, he succeeded to the crown on the death of his brother Ethelred at the age of 22. He had already given proof of ability as a general
