The Dickinson press., 1914-10-03
ALFALFA ADVICE
FOR BEGINNERS.
Word Is Derived From Arabian,
Meaning "GOOd Fodder
MANY VARIETIES IN EXISTENCE
BY MANLEY cHAMPLlN, South "a.
kota State Colleue.


kota State College.
Alfalfa is a word derived from the
Arabian language, meaning good fod-
der" You have all heard Of the mag
nifcent Arabian horses. These horses
no doubt owe some Of their fine quail
ity to the fact that they were fed
largely on alfalfa. There are many
kinds Of alfalfa, differing in coarse
ness of stalk, fineness of leaves, color
of flowers, manner Of growth, shape OF
pods, etc. The first alfalfa grown in
the United States came from Arabia
by way of Spain. The Spaniards
brought the seed to New Mexico and
Southern California. From there the
practice of growing it spread north
ward to Nebraska and Southern Iowa,
but was checked by cold weather CON
ditions before it got very far into
South Dakota and Minnesota. These
alfalfas were descended from seed
grown in warm climates and were,
therefore, not resistant to the cold
bare winters of the Dakotas.
+ + j.
The experiment stations and the
United States department Of agricul-
ture introduced hardy varieties from
Northern Turkestan and pther north
ern climates and put them on trial at
Brookings and Highmore. They also
obtained a variety from Minnesota
which descended from q small lot Of
seed brought over by a German,
Wendolin Grimm. He succeeded in
growing this kind of alfalfa, which
has blue flowers interspersed with
occasional white and yellow ones
This alfalfa was grown for forty years
before it attracted general attention.
Finally Professor w. M. Hayes, then
of the Minnesota Experiment Station,
heard about 1t and secured samples of
this seed and sent it to various parts
Of the country, including the South
Dakota station. Of all the varieties
tested this has proved one of the best,
if not the best. One of Professor N.
E. Hansen's imported lots from North.
ern Turkestan, which has been given
the number, S. D. 240, has proven re-.
markably hardy and has furnished
seed for a great number of successful
fields. & .5ys ( Ia s.
Besides these varieties a consider.
oh1n oroorpf of o1Polf. hoe hoop ootoh.
slished in the northwestern part Of
the state by ranchers and farmers of
the irrigated sections, the history OF
which is unknown, but having been
grown for q long time in this region.
it is known to be hardy and is very
rarely winter killed. This common
South. Dakota grown alfalfa we have
given the name, Common s. D. IL.
It also has purple flowers interspersed
with white and yellow ones. This
mixture Of the yellow is probably of
vast Importance, because the alfalfas
of the far north all have yellow flow.
ters, and these alfalfas that we see
growing here with yellow and blue
flowers are probably descended from
Datural crosses between the yellow
aud blue kinds. Thus the alfalfas of
this sort ese bred to be hardy because
of the mixture of the hardy yellow
lowered kind of the far north. None
of the alfalfas were originally grown
either in North or South America as
far as anybody knows. All of them
have been imported and the kinds
which have succeeded in South Da.
kota, where the history is known,
have come from North and Central
Europe or. West Central Asia.
i J. +
The experiment station has on trial
several hundred strains and is also
breeding both by selection Of the best
plants and by the crossing Of these
yellow and blue lowered sorts and Sc
lection Of the best offspring. There
is little question but that alfalfa can
be improved by breeding fully as much
as, or more than corn, but owing to
the small amount Of seed produced
It is q longer, slower job than improv-
ing corn, and the only thing for the
alfalfa breeder to do is to keep at It
persistently for many years in order
to be sure that he has produced some
thing better than that already found,
namely, the Turkestan 8. D. 240, the
Grimm 8. D. 1862, or the Common s. d.
~. AT the present time the seed of
both Grimm and Turkestan s. D. 24O