MEDICAGO FALCATA, A YELLOW-FLOWERED ALFALFA. 35 
tinct plants. In the regions around Semipalatinsk on the Irkutsk River in 
southwestern Siberia where this Medicago falcata is especially abundant, the 
Kirghiz and Russian settlers alike call it “ sholteek ”’ and it-is this name that 
the writer proposes to give to the plant. This name ‘“sholteek” is probably 
a Kirghiz corruption of two Russian words and means something yellowish. 
Now, however, in the vicinity of Semipalatinsk, this word is being applied ap- 
parently exclusively to Medicago falcata. 
Meyer offers three reasons why the name “sholteek” should be 
used in preference to other names: (1) That it consists of a single 
word only; (2) that it is easy to pronounce, easy to remember, and 
has a pleasing sound; (3) that it is already in use over a large area 
in Asia, where Medicago falcata grows in its greatest abundance. 
While the name “sholteek” is a somewhat pleasing one and not 
very difficult to pronounce, it is very doubtful whether any name 
that does not include the name alfalfa will ever be generally adopted 
in this country. The names “ Orenburg alfalfa” and “ Semipala- 
tinsk alfalfa” have been applied to mixed lots of seed introduced 
from Provinces in Russia and Siberia having these names. The fol- 
lowing is a list of some other common names that have been ap- 
plied to the species, none of which appears to be acceptable (43) : 
Svensk Lucern, Fodorsmare, Gul Lucern, Kosmor, Linne’s hofro, Ljung- 
pinnar, Rast, Refgras, Refvagras, Svensk Smare, Deutsche Luzerne, Grosser 
Steinklee, Schwedisches Heu, Schwedischer Heusame, Schwedische Luzerne, 
Sickelklee, Spargelklee, Wildes heiliges Heu, Butterjags, Horned Clover, 
Sickle-podded Medick, Yellow Lucern, Luzerne de Suede, Luzerne faucille, 
Luzerne Jaune, and Luzerne sauvage. 
AGRONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS. 
From an agronomic standpoint Iedicago falcata does not resemble 
Medicago sativa as closely as its botanical relationship would indi- 
cate. Habit of growth as regards suitability for hay or pasturage, 
quantity of growth as indicated by the production of profitable 
yields under various conditions of soil and climate, and quality of 
growth or herbage as interpreted in terms of palatability and feed- 
ing value are agronomic characteristics that in the main bear little 
relationship to diagnostic botanical characters. However, no sharp 
line exists between these two sets of characters, as may be readily 
seen, for example, in the case of the production of seed. The quan- 
tity of seed produced and its retention by the plant are character- 
istics of considerable botanical as well as agronomic significance. 
It is in the agronomic characteristics alone that the farmer is in- 
terested, and to a very large degree the plant breeder likewise, since 
production is the practical end which both must always keep in view. 
A careful study of the characteristics of the plant which relate 
directly to its utilization as a forage crop, then, is of the utmost im- 
portance. Since most of the agronomic data presented herewith were 
