2 BULLETIN 138, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



fornia, while the winter temperature approximates that of North 

 Dakota, South Dakota, western Minnesota, and eastern Montana. 



Of the three principal countries producing alfalfa seed for export, 

 Russian Turkestan contributes the greatest part. Most of this Tur- 

 kestan seed goes directly to Hamburg or to one of the other German 

 ports, where it is cleaned and graded before being exported to the 

 United States, South America, or other countries. 



Although a surplus of Turkestan seed is constantly available on 

 the European market, it is looked upon with disfavor, and compara- 

 tively little of it is purchased by European farmers. This discrimi- 

 nation results in making Turkestan seed the lowest priced seed 

 which enters into international trade. The German price of Provence 

 seed, as quoted in Berlin, is from 25 to 50 per cent higher than that 

 of Turkestan, with Italian seed intermediate in price. The wholesale 

 price of Turkestan seed in the United States is based upon the Euro- 

 pean price and is invariably lower, often 2 cents per pound less, 

 than that of domestic seed, while the retail price of Turkestan seed 

 in this country is usually higher than that of domestic seed. Thus, 

 the cheapest alfalfa seed in Europe is brought to this country and is 

 sold in competition with domestic seed, and usually at a higher price. 

 Both the wholesale and retail seed dealers make a larger profit on 

 Turkestan seed than on domestic seed, with the result that more and 

 more of this seed is imported each year, until now practically all the 

 imported seed is from that source. Over 95 per cent of the alfalfa 

 seed received since July 1, 1913, came from Turkestan. 



On the basis of the amount of alfalfa seed imported in the past 

 nine years it seems a conservative estimate to assume that one- 

 tenth of the 5,000,000 or more acres of alfalfa now growing in this 

 country was planted with commercial Turkestan seed. 



EUROPEAN ESTIMATE OF COMMERCIAL TURKESTAN ALFALFA. 



In the alfalfa-growing regions of Europe alfalfa seed that is locally 

 grown is generally preferred. When local seed can not be obtained, 

 Provence or other French seed is considered best, with Italian seed 

 second, while commercial Turkestan seed is the least desired. 



The results obtained by European investigators who have tested 

 Turkestan alfalfa in comparison with other varieties have shown it 

 to be decidedly inferior. In most instances it was found to be the 

 poorest variety tested, giving a hay production ranging from 24 

 to 80 per cent of that of the best variety in each locality. It is 

 recognized as being slow to start into growth after the first cutting, 

 thus reducing the hay yield from subsequent cuttings. 



Gyarfas (4, 5) 1 , reviewing the tests made at the Royal Hungarian 

 Experiment Station at Magyarovar in 1909-11, found that Turkes- 



1 The figures in parentheses refer to " Literature cited " at the end of this bulletin. 



