Principal Varieties of ALFALFA 

There are only a few strains equal and none exceed Grimm Alfalfa in 
hardiness. 
It is the safest type to sow wherever there is trouble from 
winter killing. It does not cost any more to sow the Grimm variety, as it 
requires less seed to an acre. 
pounds to an acre. 
There is a good deal of misun- 
derstanding about the points of dif- 
ference between these two alfalfas. 
No one character may safely be 
used as a distinguishing mark of 
either. Except in color of blossom, 
an individual plant of Grimm may 
grow and look exactly like Com- 
mon, and vice versa. In general, 
however, the differences are as 
follows: 
1. Grimm has a variegated; 
Common, a purple blossom. 
2. Common grows a little taller 
as a rule and, where hardy, pro- 
duces more hay. 
3. Grimm is hardier than Com- 
mon. 
4. Grimm, speaking in a very 
general way, has a somewhat 
spreading or ‘“sprangly” root sys- 
tem, while Common tends to pro- 
duce a deep “tap” root. Too much 
We recommend sowing from 10 to 12 
reliance cannot be placed on these 
characteristics, however, as under 
certain soil conditions Grimm will 
grow a root system of the Common 
type, and vice versa. There is much 
variation in the root character of 
individual plants from the same 
strain. 
5. Again speaking very general- 
ly, Grimm has a lower set crown 
than Common alfalfa. Local con- 
ditions affect this also, and it can- 
not be relied upon to distinguish 
the two strains. 
The superior hardiness of Grimm 
is often attributed to its spreading 
roots or low set crown. It is prob- 
able that both of these characters 
have some effect on hardiness, but 
more important than either is the 
fact that hardiness is bred into and 
has become an inherent character 
of Grimm. 
Sel 
