Cut Bank pioneer press. [volume] (Cut Bank, Mont.) 1909-current, 1913-02-28
NEW VARIETIES OF ALFALFA
Yellow-FIowered Species Found
Throughout Eurasia Seems to Be
Adapted to Colo and Drought.

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 generally
known concerning the characteristics
Of these new a~lfalfas or the real pur-
pose of their introduction.
In the search for hardy forms of
common alfalfa (Medicago sativa)
adapted to sever conditions OF
drought and cold, the potential value
of closely allied species became appar-
ent. A yellow-1owered species (Medi-
cago ~falcata) found widely distributed
throughout Eurasia, forms of which
thrive on the cold, dry steppes 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 his spe-
cies.
Medicago f~alcata, enormously called
Siberian alfalfa" and for which there
is no satisfactory common name, is
characterized in general by its droop-
as hdOtSs AollO" lSdNCO anu mt
stems; but 1t is SO 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
fo1rata nr SioE1o shaved hnnno ifc
botanical name.
The department of agriculture has
met with many difficulties in procuring
seed in quantity. as it is not handled
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 cult
walton and on unbroken sod at the
departments testing stations and in
cooperative experiments at state sta
lions. The results Of these tests of the
available forms of Medicago falcata
indicate rather definitely hat their
chief value is for crossing with com
mon alfalfa to produce hardy and
drought-resistant hybrid strains. At
PlSoCAI lhC hC" oIIdlldo w nv appeal
to be sufficiently productive to make
them generally profitable under cult
walton. Many of the forms are unques-
tionably very hardy and drought-re-
sistant and lave already shown their
value as stock for crossing with varie-
ties commonly known.
One of the hardest, if not the hard
! iaot nf nnr common CfrojnC tho
Grimm alfalfa, probably originated
through natural hybridization of Medi-
cage falcata and common alfalfa.
Grimm alfalfa is coming into very
wide use in the northwestern states.
The new a~lfalfas 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 success in i'm.
proving the range.
The experts of the department do
not believe that this yellow-f1owered
alfalfa in its unsolicited state is a cror
" hS Ia lIV W lCSbI SfCi llOu6I
seed were available. Three main con.
siderations show that it is not likely
to prove valuable under cultivation
% Most of it's forms are not sufici
emily erect to be easily harvested for
hay; GU it does not recover quickly
after cutting and cannot be expected
to give more than one cutting during
the season; (3) it's seed habits are
usually poor, the seed being s~cantily
produced and SCATTERING 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 TIE
hope that valuable drought-resiS"ant
and cold-resistant strains may dlti
mately be established in general use.