UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

 BULLETIN No. 428 



Contribution from the Bureau of Plant Industry 

 WM. A. TAYLOR, Chief 



Washington, D. C. 



PROFESSIONAL PAPER 



January 9, 1917 



MEDICAGO FALCATA 

 A YELLOW-FLOWERED ALFALFA 



By 



R. A. OAKLEY, Agronomist, and SAMUEL GARVER 



Scientific Assistant, Office of Forage-Crop 



Investigations 



CONTENTS 



Introduction 



introduction of Medicago falcata into the 



United States 



Natural Distribution 



Climatic and Soil Requirements .... 



Botanical History 



Botanical Description and Relationship 

 Agricultural History 33 



Page 

 1 



2 

 5 

 7 

 8 

 13 



Agronomic Characteristics 35 



Cultural Investigations 51 



Possibiliilcs in Selection and Hybridiza- 

 tion 66 



Present Agronomic Status 61 



Summary 63 



Literature Cited 67 



WASHINGTON 

 GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 



1317 



