The Kadoka press and Kadoka reporter. [volume] (Kadoka, S.D.) 1910-1923, 1911-04-21


heavy yield of abundant foliage and a
quick aftermath after cutting. These
will probably hold their own for the
main hay crop, and prove hardy
where the common alfalfa suffer at
times from winterKilling.
The question OF the palatability of
these new alfalfas has been raised.
This is one that is certainly important
but having seen stock over many
thousands of square miles in Siberia,
grazing and keeping in good condi-
ton on these various alfaifas, have
no fear on this score. The taste of
the rich milk, cream and butter made
in large measure from these alfalfas
in Siberia, as well as the kumiss made
from mares milk by the Kirghiz Tar
tars, still fingers in my memory.
A South Dakota correspondent
writes concerning some alfalfa sent
HIM last spring: 1.-THE alfalfa plants
grew fine and thrifty all summer. I
trimmed the plants sometime in Sep
tember and had bushel basket of
hay which dried in the barn. 1t
tasted very bitter to me. / tried it
on one of my horses; he ate it greed
lily as long as it lasted" In this
matter it seems to me that
the horses opinion is worth much
more than the mans opinion. Per-
sonally, / do not like the tast of al
falfa. brought home an alfalfa bis
cult made from common alfalfa from
the big alfalfa show at the Western
Products Exhibition at Omaha the
last of January and myself and family
tried to eat 1t and we are still at the
job. / very much prefer to eat the
mutton, beef and poultry made from
alfalfa than to eat the alfalfa itself.
Man win probably never develop a
boyi stomach.
The peculiar favor of one of these
new alfalfas, Medicago platycarpa,
which win be held until more is known
about it, may be due to the fact that
itsappears to be intermediate in char
acter between the common alfalfa and
sweet clover. The plants contain
certain amount of cucumerin which
gives sweet clover it's bitterness. The
United States Departments Agricul-.
ture has the problem in hand of breed
ing out the cucumerin in sweet clover
by selection and understand that
there are others engaged In the same
work. We have several strains at
Brookings. If it could be done it cer-
tainly would be worth while as stock
will ordinarily not eat sweet clover
unless forced to acquire taste for it.
In this connection it is of interest to
note that in some of the German set
Elements in South Dakota there is
yellow lowered sweet clover which
appears to be eaten freely by stock in
spite of its peculiar flavor. The sweet
clovers generally are plants living
only two years while alfalfa lives
many years.
Another one of these new alfalfas,
Medicago.ruthenica, one from the des-
ert of Cobb in Mongolia. is still under
careful trial owing to its peculiar fla
vor, but since it was one of the main
wild plants for horses, camels, cattle
and fat-tailed sheep in Mongolia where
the temperature ranges down TO so
degrees below zero. often with no
snow on the ground and with hot dry
summers, imagine it will not be
needed in South Dakata since we do
not have such extreme temperatures.
However, understand progress is be-
ing made in hybridizing it with COM
mon alfalfas in the United States De-
partment of Agriculture at Washing
ton. We are working along similar
lines at Brookings 80 that it may be
that these extremely hardy types will
be useful in developing new alfalfas,
combining the good characters OF
both races. The plant-breeding green
house, 40x115 feet, granted by the
Legislature two years ago, Will aid
vastly I'M this direction.
A few plants can be spared for other
states, especially North Dakota, Min.
nesota aiIa Montana, but only after
the South Dakota demand is met. II
may be of interest to know how fal
north they will grow. My own per
sonal opinion is that these alfalfas
which / brought over, will ultimately
make alfalfa culture possible clear uy
to the Arctic Circle on this continent
i From the very beginning I have
stated that where no trouble IL evel
experienced with winterkiIling of tn,
common alfalfa, LET well enough
alone.n
1t should be remembered that tn,
seed brought over from my three trip
to Siberia was scattered In small lot
. 1