82 , ALFALFA FARMING IN AMERICA. 



resistance, it is also hardier than many of the commercial 

 strains. 



Hardy alfalfa. — There have appeared during the- past years 

 several strains of alfalfa which are characterized by their hardi- 

 ness and general ability to withstand conditions which are 

 rather too severe for the best productions of ordinary alfalfa. 

 There is some variation in the characteristics of these alfalfas, 

 which may be grouped under this general head, but they agree 

 in showing a considerable diversity in the color of the flowers, 

 which varies from yellow to blue, green, and various shades of 

 violet and purple. These colors are often clouded with a smoky 

 hue. The predominating color is the violet of the ordinary 

 alfalfa. The most conspicuous examples of hardy alfalfa are 

 the commercial sand lucerne and the Grimm alfalfa of Minnesota. 



The sand lucerne has been grown for a number of years in 

 this country. It has recently been found to be adapted to the 

 colder and drier sections of the country, where it is proving the 

 equal of any of the alfalfas under test. It seems particularly 

 adapted to withstand the cold winters of the northern states, 

 where ordinary alfalfa is very likely to winterkill. It is not 

 always the heaviest yielder in sections where ordinary alfalfa 

 succeeds, but its yields are always satisfactory, and it is espe- 

 cially recommended for conditions where ordinary alfalfa does 

 not succeed by reason of high altitudes, light rainfall, or severe 

 winters. Its chief drawback is its tendency to lodge. 



The Grimm alfalfa, which has been grown for many years in 

 Minnesota with excellent success, was brought from Wertheim, 

 Province of Baden, Germany, in 1857, by a German farmer named 

 Grimm. It is claimed by some that this variety has attained in- 

 creased hardiness since its introduction into Minnesota. 



Dry-land alfalfa is the name usually given to ordinary alfalfa 

 seed produced for one or more generations in the semi-arid sec- 

 tions without irrigation. It is proving somewhat superior to ordi- 

 nary alfalfa under semi-arid conditions, and as a drought- 

 resistant alfalfa is about equal to Turkestan alfalfa and sand 

 lucerne. 



Arabian alfalfa is proving of special value in the southwest- 

 ern portion of the United States, where the winters are very mild. 

 It is characterized by its large leaflets and the hairiness of the 

 stems and leaves, quick recovery after cutting and very rapid 

 growth during the growing season, and also by its ability to 

 grow at cooler temperatures than ordinary alfalfa. On the other 

 hand, it is extremely tender to actually freezing temperatures and 

 generally winterkills in all except the southern and southwestern 



