22 
ALFALFA 
Luzerne in Piedmont, northern Italy. It 
was long popularly known under this name 
in Europe outside of Spain, and in eastern 
North America. 
This species was also very early intro¬ 
duced in northern Africa, where it was 
called alfalfa, a word of Arabic origin 
signifying “the best fodder.” During the 
Moorish invasion it was carried into Spain, 
and later was brought by the Spaniards to 
Mexico and South America; and finally, in 
1854, was carried from Chile to California. 
It is first heal’d of in England about 1650. 
Under the name of lucerne the early colo- 
Alfalfa blossom. 
nists introduced it into eastern North 
America, where it still grows spontaneously 
in fields and waste places; but the first 
attempts to cultivate it proved unsuccess¬ 
ful. Other common names are Spanish tre¬ 
foil, Burgundy, Brazilian, and Chilian 
clover. It is also known as purple medic 
from the color of the flowers and the Latin 
word medicci (Media) ; and snail clover 
from its twisted pods. 
Other and more hardy strains have been 
discovered in Siberia and northern Europe, 
and brought to this country by Hansen and 
other agricultural explorers. They found 
alfalfa growing under cultivation and also 
growing wild in the extreme northern parts 
of Siberia. From these high latitudes we 
get a type of plant called the Hardy or 
Northern Alfalfa, as distinguished from 
the Southern or Non-hardy Alfalfa. 
The culture of the plant has become 
established in every State in the Union and 
every province in Canada. Its claim to the 
attention of beekeepers lies in its extreme 
importance as a honey plant in the West. 
To discuss alfalfa from the standpoint of 
the beekeeper, this article will first con¬ 
sider the nature of alfalfa honey; second, 
alfalfa as bee pasturage; and, finally, con¬ 
ditions and methods of its culture. 
ALFALFA HONEY. 
Most alfalfa honey has a pleasant slight¬ 
ly minty taste. The best alfalfa honey, 
thick, rich, and delicious, has proved a 
favorite with the public where the honey 
can be eaten before granulation commences. 
Altho difficult to handle on that account, 
dealers hesitate to discard so well-flavored 
an article. It runs 12 to 13 pounds to the 
gallon while other honeys seldom exceed 12 
pounds, its thickness making it difficult to 
extract. 
A marked characteristic of alfalfa honey 
is its tendency to granulate, especially 
that from certain localities. In examining 
a given lot of alfalfa honey it is impossi¬ 
ble to say when granulation will be likely 
to set in. If kept in a warm room some 
alfalfa honey will continue liquid for an 
entire season'; but, on the other hand, it 
may be solid in a very few w’eeks. When 
granulated it is fine and creamy; hence it 
is often retailed in the solid form in car¬ 
tons. See Granulated Honey. 
As with other honeys, low temperatures, 
and especially variable temperature, have 
the same effect in hastening granulation, 
and higher and uniform temperatures in 
retarding. In tests conducted by the Bu¬ 
reau of Chemistry, Washington, D. C., al¬ 
falfa samples shown to be purer than the 
others (that is, freer from other honeys) 
granulated solid. The statement has been 
made that pure alfalfa honey will scarcely 
