EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 21 L 



forage plant for more than twenty centuries. Jt is a native of the valleys of the central 

 district of western Asia, having heen found in an apparently wild condition in the region 

 to the south of the Caucasus, in several parts of Beloochistan and Afghanistan, and in 

 Cashmere. It was introduced into Greece at the time of the Persian war, about 170 B, < '. 

 The Romans often cultivated it as forage for the horses of their armies. It was in 

 especial favor with them as a forage crop during the first and second centuries, and its 

 cultivation has been maintained in Italy down to the present time. From Italy it was 

 introduced into Spain and the south of France. It was carried from Spain into Mexico 

 at the time of the Spanish Invasion, and thence to the west coast of South America. 

 It was brought from Chili to California in 1854, and from there it rapidly spread over 

 the arid regions of the Pacific coast and Rocky mountains, where it is now cultivated 

 almost to the exclusion of other forage plants. 



"Lucerne was introduced into the state of New York at least as early as 1820, or more 

 than thirty years before it was brought to California, but it has never been so extensively 

 cultivated there as on the Pacific coast." 



The above quotation from Farmers' Bulletin No. 21, U. S. Department of Agriculture, 

 is followed a little later by the list of varieties, which includes the intermediate lucerne 

 (Medicago media) and the yellow, or sand lucerne (Medicago falcata). Nothing further 

 is mentioned in this bulletin relative to these latter two medicagos except that it is 

 said that "Neither of them has much agricultural value, though the yellow lucerne is 

 sometimes recommended for planting on very light and sandy calcareous soils." 



It is quite probable that, at the time the bulletin referred to was written, very little 

 work had been done in this country with the Medicago media, which came to the Michigan 

 Exepriment Station under the name of sand lucerne. Under date of March 13, 1901, 

 Mr. C. C. Maas, for the Wernich Seed Company, Milwaukee, Wis., writes us the follow- 

 ing relative to the "sand lucerne": 



"We procure the seed in Europe from a reliable and old-established seed house. 

 Botanically it is known as Medicago-falcata-sativa or Medicago media. Dr. Edwin Birn- 

 baum, director of the Agricultural College at Liegnitz, Germany, in his book on 'Meadow.-, 

 Pastures and Fodder Plants' describes it as a bastard, cultivated in many localities in 

 Europe as a clover for sandy soils. Will do well on any other soil. In growth it is 

 about half way between Lucerne and Swedish alfalfa (Medicago falcata) . Its peculiarity 

 is that it will vary sometimes in the bloom, the flower sometimes being yellow, green, 

 blue, violet and their various shades. Its growth the first year is very tardy. Once started 

 it will yield three or more crops a year. It is very slow in starting in the spring, but, 

 seeding on the contrary should be very early, so that seed gets benefit of plenty of 

 moisture. In extreme cases of drouth- suffering localities it should be sown with grain, 

 but the latter is not to be left to ripen or it will smother the small plant. 



"Its feeduig qualities are not as good as that of the ordinary lucerne, but it has the 

 advantage over the latter that it does not bloat cattle as easily. It also stands pasturage 

 better than lucerne. * * * We have so far heard of no failure in crop, no matter 

 where sown, whereas it is a common occurrence in northern climes for lucerne to fail." 



DESCRIPTION AND HABITS OF GROWTH. 



In appearance and behavior the difference befween the sand lucerne and alfalfa is so 

 very slight that only an expert botanist could note the botanical characteristics which 

 distinguish each, and a most careful observer could discern wherein one differs from the 

 other. Below is a brief comparison of the two plants, as noted by Professor C. F. 

 Wheeler, botanist of the Experiment Station. 



