UNIVERSITY 



OF ARIZONA^ 

 AGRICULTURAL 

 EXPLIUMENT STATION 



TIMELY HINTS FORFARMERS 



No. 132 



DECEMBER 15, 1917 



HAIRY PERUVIAN ALFALFA 



Hairy Peruvian alfalfa was introduced from Peru into the United 

 States by the Department of Agriculture about the year 1899, and, al- 

 though it has been under experimentation on the farms of Arizona and 

 the Southwest, and also at various experiment stations since that time, 

 its acreage at present is very limited. While the total area in Arizona at 

 present planted to alfalfa, according to statistics compiled by the Ari- 

 zona Council of Defense, is about 185,000 acres, estimates from the 

 most reliable sources indicate that the area devoted to genuine hairy 

 Peruvian alfalfa is not much above 3000 acres. 



Economic qualities of hairy Peruvian alfalfa: The one quality of 

 hairy Peruvian alfalfa which especially recommends it to the alfalfa 

 growers of Arizona, and the Southwest in general, is its ability to grow 

 in cool weather. It has been shown that this variety will grow when 

 the temperature is as low as 49 degrees Fahrenheit, while the common 

 varieties of alfalfa do not begin growth until a temperature of about 

 58 degrees Fahrenheit has been reached. While hairy Peruvian alfalfa 

 will thus grow at temperatures considerably lower than the common 

 varieties, it is not to be inferred from this that it is to be classed among 

 the hardy varieties. In 'fact, when it is planted in regions where the 

 temperature during the winter falls below 10 degrees Fahrenheit, the 

 plants winter-kill very badly, and therefore cannot compete with the 

 common varieties in such regions. 



In the low irrigated valleys of Southern Arizona it has demon- 

 strated its ability to make some growth throughout the winter, and 

 cuttings have been secured as early as March 1st, usually having 

 attained by that time a height of about two feet. Hairy Peruvian 

 alfalfa also recovers very quickly after cutting and is a vigorous 

 grower, so that a few days' less time is required for each cutting of 



