GRASS AND HAY 53 



the ordinary forms. Of these the Turkestan, Arabian, and Peruvian, 

 varieties have been introduced through the Office of Foreign Seed 

 and Plant Introduction of the United States Department of Agricul- 

 ture. 



Turkestan. Turkestan alfalfa was introduced into the United 

 States in 1898, and has since been tried in all parts of the country. 

 It has been found to be superior to the ordinary alfalfa in only 

 limited sections. It is decidedly inferior in the humid sections east 

 of the Mississippi River, but has given somewhat better results than 

 the ordinary alfalfa in the semiand portions of the Great Plains and 

 in the Columbia Basin. 



Hardy. There have appeared during the past years several 

 strains of alfalfa which are characterized by their hardiness and gen- 

 eral ability to withstand conditions which are rather too severe for 

 the best production of ordinary alfalfa. There is some variation in 

 the characteristics of these alfalfas, which may be grouped under 

 this general head, but they agree in showing a considerable diversity 

 in the color of the flowers, which varies from yellow to blue, green, 

 and various shades of violet and purple. These colors are often 

 clouded with a smoky hue. The predominating color is the violet 

 of the ordinary alfalfa. The most conspicuous examples of hardy 

 alfalfa are the commercial sand lucern and the Grim alfalfa of 

 Minnesota. 



The sand lucern has been grown for a number of years in this 

 country. It has recently been found to be adapted to the colder and 

 drier sections of the country, where it is proving the equal of any 

 of the alfalfas under test. It seems particularly adapted to with- 

 stand the cold winters of the Northern States, where ordinary alfalfa 

 is very likely to winterkill. 



Dry-Land. Dry-land alfalfa is the name usually given to or- 

 dinary alfalfa seed produced for one or more generations in the 

 semiarid sections without irrigation. It is proving somewhat supe- 

 rior to ordinary alfalfa under semiarid conditions, and as a drought- 

 resistant alfalfa is about equal to Turkestan alfalfa and sand lucern. 



Arabian. Arabian alfalfa is proving of special value in the 

 southwestern portion of the United States, where the winters are 

 very mild. It is characterized by its large leaflets and the hairiness 

 of the stems and leaves, guick recovery after cutting and very rapid 

 growth during the growing season, and also by its ability to grow 

 at cooler temperatures than ordinary alfalfa. On the other hand, 

 it is extremely tender to actually freezing temperatures and gen- 

 erally winterkills in all except the Southern and Southwestern 

 States. Its quick recovery after cutting and its longer growing sea- 

 son enable several more cuttings per season to be obtained than are 

 possible for the ordinary alfalfa. Unfortunately seed of this variety 

 is not yet on the market. 



Peruvian. Peruvian alfalfa is similar to Arabian alfalfa, and 

 is likewise characterized by its long growing season and lack of 

 hardiness. It grows taller than Arabian alfalfa, but the stems are 



