HAIRY PERUVIAN ALFALFA 3 



Moreover, it is seen from this table that the yields from cuttings of 

 hairy Peruvian made in late fall and early spring are greater than those 

 obtained from cuttings of the other plots at the same times. The yield 

 from the hairy Peruvian which was cut December 8 was at the rate of 

 2217 pounds per acre, while the average yield from the seven other 

 varieties was 1701 pounds per acre. The yield obtained from the hairy 

 Peruvian plots cut March 23 was at the rate of 5500 pounds per acre, 

 while the average yield of the seven other varieties cut at this time was 

 4738 pounds. 



Appearance of hairy Peruvian alfalfa: The young plants differ 

 but little from other alfalfas, but as they approach the cutting stage 

 they differ from common alfalfa in a number of ways. They have 

 fewer stems per plant and are less branching. They grow taller and 

 stand more upright. The stems are larger than those of common al- 

 falfa, especially when the stand is thin. Ihe character which most 

 distinguishes this variety from the others is the hairiness of the entire 

 plant, especially in the adult stage. The hairs are somewhat sparse at 

 the base but the number increases on ascending the plant, so that at the 

 top both the stem and leaves are covered with a dense growth of fine 

 hairs. The veins of the leaves are of a somewhat whitish color, and 

 serve to intensify the grayish green appearance of the plants. Hairy 

 Peruvian alfalfa is easily distinguished from other varieties growing 

 adjacent, both by the hairiness of the plant and by the grayish green 

 color which it displays when seen at a distance. The common variety 

 is quite smooth except that it has a few hairs near the top. When 

 viewed at a distance the common alfalfa has a greener appear- 

 ance and even when no alleyways separate the two varieties it is easy 

 to distinguish where the one begins and the other leaves off. Hairy 

 Peruvian hay, also, is said to have a characteristic grayish or "musty" 

 color, but where it has been cut from fields having thick stands, this 

 grayish color is not so apparent owing to the fact that trie plants have 

 very few hairs, except at the top, when the stand is thick. 



The flowers of the hairy Peruvian alfalfa have a somewhat dark 

 purple color, while those of the common alfalfa are violet. The seeds 

 of hairy Peruvian alfalfa cannot be distinguished from those of other 

 varieties. The only sure mark of identification is the hairiness of 

 the plant. 



The seeding qualities of hairy Peruvian alfalfa: In general, hairy 

 Peruvian alfalfa produces seed about like other varieties so far as 

 quantity is concerned. The seed crops taken from it during its trial 

 at this Station for the past six years have shown that, on the average, 

 it seeds as abundantly as the seven other varieties under trial. A seed 

 crop was taken from all the alfalfa plots at the Yuma Date Orchard in 

 1915, and the average yield obtained from the hairy Peruvian was 488 

 pounds per acre, while that from the seven other varieties was 329 

 pounds per acre. The highest yield obtained from any one of these 

 four hairy Peruvian plots during the same year was 960 pounds per 

 acre, while the highest yield obtained from any one of the seven other 





