36 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 



'The writer has been informed that, to a limited 

 extent, the practice exists in America. The chief adul- 

 terant used is the seed of the Yellow trefoil, or, as it is 

 sometimes called, Hop clover or Black medick. (See 

 illustrations opposite pages 26 and 32.) About fifty 

 species of plants are known as 'medicks' or, scien- 

 tifically, Medicago; but it so happens that the only 

 perennial species among them is alfalfa, which goes under 

 the botanical name of Medicago sativa, (p. i). Other 

 species such as Yellow trefoil {Medicago lupulina) (p. 

 38) and Bur clover {Medicago denticidata,) while they 

 possess some forage value and are useful to a lim- 

 ited extent, lack, for the most part, the lush, abun- 

 dant growth of alfalfa itself, and are notably inferior 

 through the fact of their annual habit. It is because 

 of its perennial nature, therefore, as well as on 

 account of its rank, succulent growth, that no species of 

 annual leguminous plant can hope to compete with alfal- 

 fa for a moment in importance. This means, then, that 

 any substitute for alfalfa seed, or adulteration of it with 

 the seed of another related species, such as Yellow tre- 

 foil or Bur clover, is distinctly a fraud of serious char- 

 acter, despite the fact that the adulterants are plants that 

 make fair pasturage and have some forage value. They 

 are merely annuals, ending their life with the season, 

 whereas a field of alfalfa should live twenty years or 

 more, under right conditions. 



THE CHIEF ADULTERANT 



"At present, as stated. Yellow trefoil is the chief adul- 

 terant used in American alfalfa seed. A number of cases, 



