36 LUTHER BURBANK 



The enormous productivity of alfalfa, together 

 with its adaptability to arid regions, led to glow- 

 ing predictions as to the importance of this new 

 forage crop, when it was first introduced years 

 ago. In the southwestern part of the country 

 the predictions have been more than justified, 

 but alfalfa for a time failed to make its way in 

 the Eastern and Northern States as rapidly as 

 had been expected. 



The principal reason for this is that our most 

 common alfalfa was brought from Peru or 

 Bolivia. Had the plant come from Patagonia 

 or southern Chile instead, or from Russia, its 

 original home, being therefore represented by 

 hardier varieties, it would probably have spread 

 all over the Eastern States and have added vastly 

 to the value of the forage crop everywhere. 



But now hardier types of alfalfa are making 

 their way to the North, and even into Canada, 

 and possibly selective breeding will develop 

 races more resistant to frost than any that have 

 hitherto been imported. 



A form known as Turkestan alfalfa has lately 

 been introduced that is recommended for its 

 hardiness. When grown side by side with the 

 ordinary alfalfa on my place, it is difficult to 

 distinguish the two plants. But the Turkestan 

 variety may of course have qualities of hardiness 



