ARABIAN ALFALFA.' 



By Roland McKee, Scientific Assistant, Office of Forage-Crop Investigations. 



INTRODUCTION. 



Arabian alfalfa is a very distinct variety. It was first introduced 

 into the United States from Arabia in 1902 through the Office of 

 Foreign Seed and Plant Introduction of the Bureau of Plant Industry, 

 being received under S. P. I. No. 8806. The data here presented are 

 based on experiments in the Southwest both with the original seed 

 and later importations. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Arabian alfalfa is characterized mainly by its hairiness, large pale 

 leaflets, soft hollow stems, soft crowns and roots, and quick recovery 

 after cutting. It attains a height slightly less than that of ordinary 

 alfalfa. The stems usually are quite erect and the plants of bushy 

 habit. A whitish cast is given the herbage on account of the heavy 

 pubescence. The crowns have but little tendency to spread and are 

 high set and quite erect. There is little difference in the flowers as 

 compared with ordinary alfalfa, the flowers of the Arabian variety 

 being a trifle larger and of a slightly paler violet. The stems are not 

 at all woody and the crowns and roots are very much softer than in 

 ordinary alfalfa. 



LIFE PERIOD. 



Arabian alfalfa has a short life period. Grown under ordinary field 

 conditions it will maintain a good stand for two years, but the third 

 year the plants will be less vigorous and the stand not more than 80 

 per cent. In the fourth year the plants will be still weaker and the 

 stand reduced to 50 per cent or less. When the plants are sown in 

 wide rows and given cultivation they are more vigorous and live a 

 year or two longer. While good cultural conditions make the growth 

 of the Arabian variety more vigorous, its short life seems to be largely 

 inherent. 



i Issued Mar. 29, 1913. 

 [Cir. 119] 25 



