4 
THE COLORADO EXPERIMENT STATION 
PAGE 
Object and Scope of Bulletin 
2 
History of Alfalfa 
2-4 
Description of the plant; native place, probably Media, 
whence the name Medick; introduced into England 1650; 
cultivated by Greeks and Romans; culture has not been con¬ 
tinuous in Italy; brought to South America by the Spanish; 
brought from Chili to California in early fifties; 1854; brought 
to Colorado in the early sixties, 1862-3(?). 
Culture.4-8 
Methods in vogue essentially the same as have been in use 
for centuries. Methods differ slightly for different soils and 
climates. Cold, wet winters and poor drainage constitute bad 
conditions for cultivation of this plant. It is customary to 
sow with a protective crop 
Seed .—Screenings produce good stand of healthy plants, suffi¬ 
cient to produce maximum crop. Seed bed should be deeply 
prepared and plants receive abundant water during first sea¬ 
son. Tap roots not always present. Transplanting has been 
practiced with good results. Three cuttings made in Eng¬ 
land and seven in Catalonia. Alfalfa yields better hay when 
sown broadcast than when sown in drills. Life of the plant 
is given as from two to fifty years. Alfalfa needs water to pro¬ 
duce a crop. Its long roots may enable it to live without much 
water, but not to produce a good growth. Alfalfa does well 
in a wide range of soils; also of altitude. 
8-9 
Varieties 
Two varieties, at least, in alfalfa as grown in Colorado; one 
has red stem, small, dark green leaves and dark purple blos¬ 
soms; the other has green stems, large and lighter green 
leaves, and lighter blossoms. The red stemmed plants are 
earlier and leafier than the green stemmed. 
Three French varieties experimented with did not retain 
their distinctive features. 
Turkestan alfalfa experimented with did not change its 
character. 
There are but slight differences in the composition of the 
varieties. 
Composition of Alfalfa, Hay, Heaves, Stems, etc. . . 9-32 
Preparation of samples. 
Samples dried in the air and at 100° show no difference in 
composition. It is not well to dry above 100°, page 9. 
