52 



ALFALFA GROUIXG AT THE COLLEGE OF HAirAII 



FARM. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The Department of Agriculture of the College of Hawaii 

 recognizes the importance of crop demonstration and farm prac- 

 tice as an aid to agricultural instruction. Consequently a sys- 

 tematic effort has been made to establish at the College Farm 

 cultures of representative crops. Among the crops thus far 

 grown none have served a more useful purpose, nor excited 

 greater interest among students and visitors than have the Alfalfa 

 plots. 



In the fall of 1912 the Junior Class projected an extensive 

 series of alfalfa experiments. An acre of suitable land was set 

 aside for the purpose. This was sown to four standard varieties. 

 Careful records were kept In' all the students and much interest- 

 ing data secured. 



The paper that follows, "Alfalfa, A Promising Forage Crop 

 for Hawaii," was submitted as a thesis as a partial requirement 

 for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Agriculture by Mr. Wil- 

 liam FT. Meinecke of the Class of 1913. 



F. G. Kr.xuss, 

 Professor of Agronomv, College of Hawaii. 



ALFALFA. 



Medicago saiiva — /. 

 // Pruiiiisiug Forage Crop for Ihra'aii. 



HISTORY .\ND DISTRIRUTION. 



t 



'J'he alfalfa or lucerne plant is believed to be a native of the 

 temperate regions of Western Asia, most likely the northwestern 

 frontier of India and Media. 



Though the records of its first domesticatit)n are vague, it was 

 ai)j)arently well established in agriculture before the earliest 

 records of Greek history ; but whether it was first domesticated 

 l)y the Persians (as the Greeks supposed) or was used earlier 

 farther east it is not known. The uncertainty as to the identity 

 of the wild species from which llu' cultivated one developed, 

 added to the fact that the botanical name was first given to the 

 domesticated plant arid has never been associated with any wild 

 si)ecies makes it even more difficult to trace its origin. 



It was cultivated in China at a very early date an<l carried 

 to Greece during tlie Persian invasi'in of I'H) I'.. ( ", .-nid bv 



