ALFALFA I 19 



It has been highly commended by some European 

 seedsmen for its hardihood, but it has been as yet 

 grown to only a limited extent in America. The 

 Minnesota strain was doubtless brought to Carver 

 County by German farmers, by whom it has been 

 grown in the neighborhood of Lake Waconia for 

 nearly 20 years. It has been found much hardier 

 than the common variety when grown in that neigh- 

 borhood, and the endurance of plants grown from 

 seed of this strain far northward has been very 

 pronounced. As this variety produces reason- 

 ably good seed crops in Central Minnesota, it 

 would seem reasonable to expect that it will become 

 popular in Northern areas. Sand Lucerne, which 

 comes from Central Europe, has considerable adap- 

 tation for poor and light soils, and in trials made 

 at the Michigan experiment station was found pos- 

 sessed of distinctive merit for such soils. 



Where alfalfa can be grown freely, it is unex-' 

 celled as a pasture for swine, and is in favor also 

 as a pasture for horses. While cattle and sheep 

 grazed upon it are exceedingly fond of it, the dan- 

 ger that it will produce bloat in them is so frequently 

 present as to greatly neutralize its value for such a 

 use. It is a favorite pasture for fowls. In furnish- 

 ing soiling food where it produces freely, it is with- 

 out an equal in all the United States. It is highly 

 relished by all kinds of farm animals, not exclud- 

 ing rabbits and goats, and when fed judiciously may 

 be fed in this form with perfect safety. Its high 

 value in producing such food rests on its produc- 

 tiveness, its high palatability and the abundant nutri- 



