next season's field crops. In the North or wherever the winters are 

 severe they may be sown in early spring at the same time as the 

 spring wheat or other small grain. They are all crops which delight 

 in cool growing weather like that of the northern spring or fall and 

 the southern wnnter. 



HAIRY VETCH, OR SAND VETCH. 

 ( 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. Its cultivation was then neglected until its reintroduction 

 about twelve years ago by this Department. It has since been tried 

 in various parts of the United States. Excellent reports as to its 

 drought-resisting qualities and its adaptability to our climate have 

 been received from Washington, Nebraska, Georgia, New Mexico, 

 South Dakota, Minnesota, Montana, and Pennsylvania. It has been 

 grown on the experimental grounds of the Department of Agricul- 

 ture at Washington, D. C, and has proved to be thoroughly adapted 

 to and valuable for this locality. The seed was sown about the 25th 

 of April, and the plants commenced to bloom the middle of July, con- 

 tinuing in flower until the end of November. Sown in August it grew 

 well until the first hard frost and continued an intermittent growth all 

 winter during periods of open weather. By the middle of March it 

 had formed a thick mat of vines over the soil. It blossomed by the 

 first of May and was then ready to be cut. Hairy vetch withstands 

 winter cold and summer 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 and by some is considered especially valuable for light sandy 

 soils. 



CULTIVATION. 



Hairy vetch (fig. 2) may be sown in autumn, from about the middle 

 of August to the middle of September ; or in spring, from the latter 

 part of April to the middle of May. It should be sown broadcast or 

 with a grain drill at the rate of 1 to li bushels of seed per acre. 

 The latter method will require a less amount of seed. When the 

 seed is put in broadcast, a bushel of lye, oats or wheat should be 

 sown at the same time, so as to furnish a support to keep the vines 

 up off the ground. If it is sown in drills in the latter part of August 

 the crop should be cultivated several times. It will furnish some 

 forage in autumn, and where the winter is not too severe will start 

 to grow again in the spring, thus producing forage in late autumn 

 and early spring, at the two periods when it is most needed. 



While it gives a fair crop on poor soil it is most profitable as a 

 forage plant on rich and well-tilled land. It needs considerable 

 moisture during the first six weeks of its growth, but when once 

 fairly established withstands drought and extremes of temperature. 

 The seeds germinate poorly when they are more than two years old. 

 Most of the seed used in this country is imported from Europe, so that 

 particular care ought to be taken by importers and dealers to handle 

 none but such as can be sold under guarantee as good, fresh seed. 



