212 



Kansas -State Board of Agriculture. 



FIG. 191. Three types of alfalfa seeds. Kidney bean type (lower rows) ; pointed 

 type (middle rows); and oblong type (upper rows). Some of the latter can scarcely 

 be distinguished from Sweet clover seeds. 



Here are three alfalfa cases that came to our attention. 



One was alfalfa seed, containing 22.5 per cent of weed seeds, one- 

 fifth of which was foxtail. In addition there was 5.9 per cent trash. 



In another sample was 28.48 per cent of foreign seed, of which 22 per 

 cent was foxtail. In this sample there was also 31.6 per cent trash. 



A third sample contained 43.3 per cent foxtail. 



If Kansas had an efficient seed law seed like this could not get on the 

 market. 



Adulterated Seed. 



Adulterated alfalfa seed is not so common on the Kansas market now 

 as formerly. The chief adulterants, when they occur, are yellow trefoil 

 and bur clover. Yellow trefoil (Medicago lupulina) is a biennial plant 

 with yellow flowers, closely related to alfalfa, but vastly inferior. It is 

 grown to some extent on poor soils in Europe for sheep pasture. Yellow 

 trefoil is practically never grown in this country, but considerable quan- 

 tities of the seed are imported, apparently to use in adulterating alfalfa 

 seed. Yellow trefoil seed is difficult for an ordinary person to distinguish 

 when mixed with alfalfa seed. The yellow trefoil seed, however, has a 

 small beak or projection just back of the scar, which is lacking in alfalfa 

 seed, by means of which it can be most easily identified. The identifica- 

 tion of yellow trefoil in alfalfa seed, however, requires the services of an 



