32 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 



According to the government authorities the bulk of 

 the imported seed comes from Germany and France. 

 That having the best reputation in Europe comes from 

 Provence, (southeastern) France. A small quantity 

 comes from Italy, but it is not generally considered to be 

 of as good quality as that grown farther north. Seeds- 

 men complain that many consignments of the foreign 

 seed contain large quantities of Yellow trefoil and Bur 

 clover. 



It is a fallacy popular among farmers and country 

 seed dealers that great quantities of alfalfa seed are 

 exported to be used for dyeing purposes. There is no 

 foundation in fact for such a belief, and the exportations 

 made, like the importations, are for seeding purposes 

 exclusively. 



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A foremost source of danger and loss, aside from 

 infertile seed, is impurities and adulterants in the alfalfa 

 seed planted. Growers often are careless and do not 

 examine their alfalfa before or at the time of harvesting, 

 and do not reclean their seed after threshing, thus send- 

 ing out among innocent purchasers seed mixed with 

 those of weeds, inferior grasses and forage plants, and 

 with various trash which adds bulk and weight but has 

 no value. The commonest seed adulterants or impuri- 

 ties are those of Sweet clover, (Melilotus alba), Bur 

 Clover, (Medicago denticulata) , Spotted clover (Medi- 

 cago Arabica), Yellow trefoil (Medicago lupulina) or 

 Hop clover, and the Dodders {Cuscuta epithymum and 

 Cuscuta arvensis). 



