The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-09-18
HARDY VARIETIES Of
ALFMLFA:BR0UGHT
FOR TRIAL
Department of Agriculture
Taking Steps to Secure
Tougher Species.

Considerable interest has been
aroused through the importation by
the United States department of agri'
culture of some new, hardy varieties
Of alfalfa. Little. however, is gener-
ally known concerning the character
istics of these ne walfalfas or the
real purposes, of their introduction.
In search for hardy forms Of com
mon alfalfa adapted to severe condi-
tons of drought and cold. the 'poten-
tial value of closely allied species be-
came apparent. A yellow-fowered
species found widely distributed
throughout Eurasia. forms of which
thrive. on 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.
species.
Characterized by Dropping Habit.
Medicago falcata. enormously call
ed siberian alfalfa" and for which
these is no satisfactory common name.
Is characterized in general by its
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
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 falcate or sickle
shaped, hence its botanical name.
The department Of agriculture has
met with many difficulties in procur.
ing seed in quantity. as it Is not nan
died commercially and in no place IS
it produced in abundance. In spite Of
the scarcity of seed very thorough
tests have been conducted both under
cultivation and on unbroken sod 1T
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 :hlt
their chief value is for crossir~ with
common alfalfa to prodce hardy Ind
drought-resistant hybrid strains. At
present the new alfalfas do not APP
pear to be sufficiently productive TO
make them generally profitable I.hder
cultivation. Many Of the forms are
unquestionably 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 u commercial strains.
the Grimm alfalfa. probably original
ed through natural naturalization Of
NC W.
Grimm alfalfa is coming into very
wide use In the northwestern states.
The new alfalfas have not yet been
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 continued with
the hope Of ultimate, uccess In i'm
nrOvinD the range
The experts of the department do
not believe that this yellow-fiowered
alfalfa in its unsolicited state is a
crop for the farmer to test, even
though seed We're available. 7'hr-e
main considerations show that 1t is
not likely to prove valuable under
CIVILIZATIONS: Most Of its forms are
not sufficiently erect to be easily har-
bested for hap: II does not recover
quickly after cutting and can NOT be
expected to give more than one cut.
ting during the season; its seed habits