The Raymer enterprise., 1913-02-27
NEW VARIETIES Of ALFALFA
Yellow-Flowered Species Found
Throughout Eurasia Seems to Be.
Adapted to Cold and Drought.


aroused through the importation by
the United States department o. agri-
culture of some new. hardy varieties
Of alfalfa. Little, however. is generally
known concerning the characteristics
Of these new alfalfas or the real pur.
pose Of their introduction.
In the search for hardy forms OF
common alfalfa (Medicago sativa)
adapted to severe conditions OF
drought and cold. the potential value
of closely allied species became appar.
ent. A yellow.flowered species (Medi.
cago falcata) found widely distributed
throughout Eurasia, forms OF which
thrive on the cold. dry steppes Of Rus
sia 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 spe-
cies.
Medicago falcata, enormously called
Siberian alfalfa" and for which there
is no satisfactory common name. is
characterized in general by its droop-
Ing habit. narrow leaves and fine
stems; but 1t is 80 variable that some
plants may be readily mistaken for
common alfalfa when not In flower.
Very few Of the forms possess 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 procuring
seed In quantity. as 1t is not handled
commercially and In no place is 1t
produced In abundance. In spite of the
scarcity Of seed very thorough tests
have been conducted. both under cult
vation and on unbroken sod at the
departments testing stations and In
cooperative experiments at state sta
tions. The results of these tests of the
available forms Of Medicago falcata
indicate rather definitely that their
chief value is for crossing with com.
mon alfalfa to produce hardy and
drought.resistant hybrid strains. At
present the new alfalfas do not appear
to be sufficiently productive to make
them generally profitable under cult.
yation. Many Of the forms are unques-
tiopably very hardy and drought.re-
sistant and have already shown their
value as stock for crossing with varie-
ties commonly known.
One Of the hardest, II not the hard.
lest, Of our common strains. the
Grimm alfalfa, probably originated
through natural hybridization of Medi.
cago falcata and common alfalfa.
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 10 date indicate their inability to
maintain themselves except under
very favorable conditions. the tests
are nevertheless being continued with
the hope Of ultimate success in i'm.
proving the range.
The experts Of the department do
not believe that this yellow.aowered
alfalfa In its unsolicited state Is crop
for the farmer to test, even though
seed were available. Three main con.
siderations show that 1t is not likely
to prove valuable under cultivation:
(I Most Of its forms are not sufiici.
emily erect to be easily harvested for
hay; (2) 1t does not recover quickly
after cutting and cannot be expected
to give more than one cutting during
the season; (3) Its seed habits are
usually poor. the seed being scantily
produced and shattering badly at ma
turity.
The department Of agriculture is
pushing the work Of selection by
hybridization OF the best forms Of this
species as rapidly as possible, In the
nope that valuable drought.resistant
and cold.resistant strains may ulti.
mately be established In general use.