Circular No. 2. 



^ NEW YORK 

 BOTANICAL 



United States Department of Agriculture, 



DIVISION OF AGROSTOLOGY. 



HAIRY VETCH, SAND VETCH, OR RUSSIAN VET( H. 



{Vicia villosa.) 



This annual leguminous plant is a native of western Asia. It has 

 been cultivated for about fifty years in some parts of Europe, especially 

 southern Russia, Germany, and France, and was introduced into this 

 country for the first time about 1847, under the name of Siberian 



vetch. But its cultivation 

 was lost sight oi', and no 

 thought was given to it 

 until reintroduced about 

 ten years ago. It has been 

 tried in various parts of the 

 United States. Excellent 

 reports as to its drought- 

 resisting qualities and its 

 adai)tability to our climate 

 have been received from 

 Washington, Nebraska, and 

 Pennsylvania. It has been 

 grown in the past season on 

 the experimental grounds of 

 the Department of Agricul- 

 ture at Washington, and 

 has proved to be thoroughly 

 adapted to, and valuable 

 for, this region. The seed 

 was planted about the 25th 

 of April ; the i)lant com- 

 menced to bloom the middle 

 of July, and continued in 

 bloom until the end of 



Hairy vetch {vicia villosa). 



August. Hairy vetch withstands cold, heat, and drought, but it does 

 not do well where there is an excess of water in the soil. It is one of 

 the most promising fodder crops which has been brought into the 

 United States in recent years. 



