MEDICAGO FALCATA, A TELLOW-FLOWERED ALFALFA. 35 



tinct plants. In the regions around Semipalatinsk on the Irkutsk River in 

 southwestern Siberia wliere this Medicago falcata is especially abundant, the 

 Kirghiz and Russian settlers alike call it " sholteek " and it is this name that 

 the writer proposes to give to the plant. This name " sholteek " is probably 

 a Kirghiz corruption of two Russian words and means something yellowish. 

 Now, however, in the vicinity of Semipalatinsk, this word is being applied ap- 

 parently exclusively to Medicago falcata. 



Meyer offers three reasons why the name " sholteek " should be 

 nsed in preference to other names: (1) That it consists of a single 

 word only; (2) that it is easy to pronounce, easy to remember, and 

 has a pleasing sound; (3) that it is already in use over a large area 

 in Asia, where Medicago falcata. grows in its greatest abundance. 

 T\Tiile the name " sholteek " is a somewhat pleasing one and not 

 very difficult to pronounce, it is very doubtful whether any name 

 that does not include the name alfalfa will ever be generally adopted 

 in this country. The names " Orenburg alfalfa " and " Semipala- 

 tinsk alfalfa" have been applied to mixed lots of seed introduced 

 from Provinces in Hussia and Siberia having these names. The fol- 

 lowing is a list of some other common names that have been ap- 

 plied to the species, none of which appears to be acceptable {53) : 



Svensk Lucern, Fodorsmare, Gul Lucern, Kosmor, Linne's hofro, Ljung- 

 pinnar, Rast, Refgras, Refvagras, Svensk Smare, Deutsche Luzerne, Grosser 

 Steinklee, Schwedisches Heu, Schwedischer Ileusame, Schwedische Luzerne, 

 Sickelklee, Spargelklee, Wildes heiliges Heu, Butterjags, Horned Clover, 

 Sickle-podded Medick, Yellow Lucern, Ijuzerne de Suede, Luzerne faucille, 

 Luzerne Jaune, and Luzerne sauvage. 



AGRONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS. 



From an agronomic standpoint Medicago falcata does not resemble 

 Medicago sativa as closely as its botanical relationship would indi- 

 cate. Habit of growth as regards' suitability for hay or pasturage, 

 quantity of growth as indicated by the production of profitable 

 yields under various conditions of soil and climate, and quality of 

 growth or herbage as interpreted in terms of palatability and feed- 

 ing value are agronomic characteristics that in the main bear little 

 relationship to diagnostic botanical characters. However, no sharp 

 line exists between these tAvo sets of characters, as may be readily 

 seen, for example, in the cane of the i)roduction of seed. The quan- 

 tity of .seed produced and its retention by the plant are character- 

 istics of considerable botanical as well as agronomic significance. 



It is in tlie agronomic charncteristics alone that the farmer is in- 

 terested, and to a very large degree the plant breeder likewise, since 

 j>if>(liKtion is the practical end which both must always keep in view. 

 A CM (('fill study of the characteristics of the plant which relate 

 dinvitly to its utilization as a forage crop, then, is of the utmost im- 

 portance. Since most of the agronomic data presented herewith vveie 



