CHAPTER IV 



ALFALFA 



Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) previous to its intro- 

 duction into California, from Chili, about the mid- 

 dle of the last century, was usually known by the 

 French name Lucerne. The name Alfalfa is prob- 

 ably Arabic in its origin, and the term Lucerne has 

 probably been given to it from the Canton Luceirne 

 in Switzerland. It has followed the plant into 

 Spain and South America, and now it seems prob- 

 able that soon it will be known by no other name 

 over all the United States and Canada. It has also 

 been known by names applied to it from various 

 countries for which it has shown high adaptation, 

 as, for instance, Sicilian Clover, Mexican Clover, 

 Chilian Clover, Brazilian Clover, Styrian Clover and 

 Burgundy Clover. In yet other instances, names 

 have been applied to it indicative of some peculiarity 

 of growth, as, for instance, Branching Clover, Per- 

 ennial Clover, Stem Clover and Monthly Clover. 



Alfalfa is upright and branching in its habit of 

 growth, more so than the common varieties of clo- 

 ver. It usually grows to the height of 2 to 3 feet, 

 but it has been known to reach a much greater 

 height. Although possessed of a single stem when 

 the plants are young, the number of the stems in- 

 creases up to a certain limit, with the age of the 



