ALFALFA 



319 



TABLE SHOWS YIELDS OF HAY IN POUNDS AN ACRE OF SEV- 

 ERAL REGIONAL STRAINS OF ALFALFA GROWN AT VARIOUS 

 EXPERIMENT STATIONS 



381. Important characteristics of alfalfa. Alfalfa owes 

 its high importance as a forage crop to a combination of 

 characteristics, as follows : 



(1) its high nutritive value and palatability ; 



(2) its large total yield where successful ; 



(3) its drought resistance, due largely to its very deep 

 roots ; 



and (4) its long life. 



Such a combination of desirable qualities has led to a 

 vast amount of experimental investigations with alfalfa, 

 perhaps more in the aggregate than has been devoted to 

 any other forage plant. 



1 Average for seed from 2 sections of the state. 



2 Average for seed from 4 sources. 



3 Average for seed from 2 sources. 



