The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-09-19

of alfalfa. Little, however, is gener
ally known concerning the character
istics of these new aIfalfas or the real
purpose for their introduction.
In search for hardy forms of COM
mon alfalfa adapted to severe condl-
tial value of closely allied species be-
came apparent. A yellow lowered
species found widely distributed
throughout Eurasia, forms of which
thrive in the cold dry steepes of Rus
STA and similar regions, seemed to be
the. most promising. For this reason
persistent efforts were made to i'm
port many valuable forms of this
species.
characterized by Dropping Habit.
Medicago falcata, enormously call
ed Siberian alfalfa, and for which
there is no satisfactory common name,
is characterized in general by it's
dropping habit, narrow leaves, and
fine stems; but it is so variable that
some plants may be readily mistaken
for common alfalfa when not in
flower. Very few of the forms pos
sess true tap roots like the common
alfalfa, but they have a branching
root system by which new plants are
produced. The flowers are yellow
and the seed pods facate or sickle
shaped, hence its botanical name.
The department of agriculture has
met with many difficulties in procur-
ing seed in quantity and it is not han
died commercially n in no place is
1t produced in abundance. In spite of
the scarcity of seed very thorough
tests have been conducted both under
cultivation and on unbroken sod at
the departments testing stations and
in cooperative experiments at state
stations. The results of these tests
Of the available forms of madicago
~falcata indicate rather definitely that
their chief value is for crossing with
common alfalfa to produce hardy nj
drought resisting hybrid strains. At
present the new alfalfas do not APP
| pear to be sufficiently productive to
make them generally profitable under
cultivation. Many of the forms are
unduestionably very hardy and shown
their value as stock for crossing with
varieties commonly known.
Grimm Alfalfa for Northwest.
One of the hardest, If not the
hardest of our commercial strains, is
the Grimm alfalfa, probably original
ed through natural hybridization VI
medicago falcata and common alfalfa.
Grimm alfalfa is coming into very
wide use in the northwestern states
i LIE new dtldlLdS nave AOl YET DCSA
tested on the open range as fully as
under cultivation. Although the re-
suits to date indicate their inability
to maintain themselves except under
very favorable conditions, the tests
are nevertheless being conducted with
the hope of ultimate success in inn
proving the range.
The experts of the department dc
not believed that this yellow lowered
alfalfa in It's unsolicited state is q
crop for the farmer to test, ever
though seed were available. Three
main considerations show that it Il
not likely to prove valuable undei
j cultivation: Most Of its forms are
not sufficiently erect to be easily har.
vested for hap; it does no recover
quickly after cutting and can not bs
expected to give more than one out
ting during the season; its seed habit.
are usually poor, the seed being scan.
tiiy produced and scattering badly a
maturity.
The department of agriculture Il
ipushing the work of selection by ny.
. b~ridization of the best forms oil thi.
species ais rapidly as possible, in tn,
| hope that valuable drought resistant
and cold resistant strains may ufti,
matcly be established in general use