The Washington herald., 1913-06-01
Alfalfa from Foreign Countries
Will Make the Deserts Bloom

- surrounded by the lnale3 pOflen-benr-
Ing anthers-such being the character e
the rods structure To get rid OF the
pollen was necessary preliminary, to
make sure that the blossom should NOT
fertilize itself.
1t now remains only to fertilize the
stigma by applying to it pollen from the
alfalfa flower chosen to serve as the
male parent. This may be accomplished
In either of two easy ways-by rubbing
the stigma with the pollen-bearing rod
OF the father blossom, or by applying the
pollen directly with camePs-hair brush
previously dipped in dilute solution of
sugar and water to render IL slightly
sticky.
This is all there Is of the process; na-
ture does the rest. The pollen grains
adherfng to the stigma, send down min
ute tubes to the ovarfes at the lower end
Of the red. impregnating the ovulcs
future seeds) therein contained As Q
result, cross Is obtained between the
two flowers selected for mating.
Mr.. Oliver has found that the ''dspoi-
linating" process can be performed quits
as effectively with a Jet OF compressed
air as with a jet OF water.
One easily understands what such q
discovery means to the future of alfalfa
culture. 1t is one thing to collect de-
slrabls varieties from various parts of
the world, but quite another SO to mate
them as to utilize their cold-proof,
drought-proof. or other desirable charac-
teristics for the production Of entirely
new strains combining one advantage
with another. This, as win be seen il
rendered easily practicable by the method
here described.
Incidentally, Mr.. Oliver has devised
a means whereby alfalfa cuttings for
planting may be transported over long
distances without impairment of their
vitality. Hitherto this has been very
dificult; the cuttings would not re-
main in good condition for more than
day or two, the trouble arising from
lack of moisture and sunlight. II,
however. two layers of the cuttings
be placed between two pieces of glass,
with two inches OF compact sphagnum
moss between the layers (the leaves Of
the cuttings being laid outward and in
contact with the glass, so as to receive
Light, they will survive a journey of
six weeks duration, conditioned only
upon keeping the moss moist and ex-
posing the cuttings to light (preferably
sunlight) for several hours each day.
While In transit they will actually form
roots.
The glass and plant sandwich thus
prepared should be compacted firmly
(removins the moss that protrudes be-
yond the edges of the glass) and tied
with stout twine to hold 1t tight to-
gether. The same method may be sue
cessfully employed for Transporting any
other kind. OF soft or herbaceous cut
tings. such as clover.
The original home OF alfalfa is un-
derstood to have been the southwest
of CLntral Asia Thence IL has been
carried to nearly all parts OF the world.
Its name means best fodder" but in
Southern Europe IL is known as "lu-
Germ The Persians are said to have
been the first to grow II. and they took
1t with them to provide forage for their
horses and cattle when they invaded
Greece about 4s0 B. c. It was intro
duced into Spain by the Moors in the
eighth century A. D., and the Spaniards
brought II to Mexico and South Amer
lea during the sixteenth century. Not
until 1884. however, when Il was taken
from Chile to San Francisco. did its
rapid extension over the United States
begin. But today Il is the staple lesu-.
minous forage crop throughout the
western half of this country. and the
most profitable of all such crops, yield
ing In very favorable localities as much
as twelve tons to the acre. worth from
s6 to SO q ton In the stack.
RENE BAcHE