Abstract: Local records of government agencies are a valuable source of information about natural and social history and can help to understand the present situation of the region they pertain to. Alfalfa as an important agricultural crop, alfalfa use was listed in many local records of the Minguo period (1912-1949), We obtained and assessed 56 local admistrative records, dating from the Minguo period, of alfalfa use in provinces of East China, North China and Northwest China. The records showed that alfalfa was widely planted in east China, north China and northwest China in the Minguo period. The most extensive use was in Anhui, Jiangsu, Shandong, Chahar, Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Ningxia, Gansu, Qinghai and Xinjiang provinces. Alfalfa’s ecological characteristics were described in many of the records. It was clear that different Medicago species were planted in different regions. For example, Medicago sativa and M. falcata were typically planted in Hebei province; M. sativa, M. falcata and M. hispida were planted in Shandong Province. Alfalfa can be used on a range of land classes from alkaline soils to fertilized alluvial or loessial soils, and is an important crop resource. Alfalfa is also an excellent honey plant.