Alfalfa in Kansas. 



173 



Alfalfa played in its travels the part of the leisurely tourist, who 

 travels about the world, stopping now here, now there, as his health or 

 fancy may suggest. Alfalfa zigzagged across Asia to Europe, into Africa, 

 then back to Europe again, and up and down and across North and South 

 America. It tarried for centuries in some countries, such as Greece and 

 Spain, before proceeding again on its way. Occasionally it lost ground 

 by venturing into a region of unfriendly soil and climate, such as New 

 York, or into a country, such as Mexico, where the people did not know 

 how to treat it. Sometimes the seed was carried by men, at other times by 

 birds, while in other cases the way it made its journeys is unknown. 



Fie. 150. Italy. Where the ancient Roman horses and cattle were fed on alfalfa. 



The Medes were for centuries leaders in Asiatic civilization, and they 

 carried alfalfa, as they carried many another discovery, to their neigh- 

 bors, the Persians, who at one time were united with them in ene great 

 kingdom. The place occupied by alfalfa among the ancient Persians is 

 shown by the name which they gave to it aspect, which means horse 

 fodder. The plant was brought to Greece by Persian invaders. In some 

 manner it reached northern Africa, and from there was introduced into 

 Italy, where the Romans used it extensively. 



