Proceedings of Seventeenth INormal Institute 233 



SOME COMMON LEGUMES 

 F. E. Kobertson and F. C. Barlow 



vetch 



Winter vetch (Vicia villosa) for many years grown and highly 

 valued as a cover crop in orchards, has been within the past fonr 

 or five years quite widely grown as a forage crop in combination 

 with oats and the clovers. It is also being grown with good 

 success with oats as a soiling crop. Being richer in protein than 

 alfalfa its feeding value in this respect should receive consider- 

 ation. Another point that may be considered in its favor is that 

 its range of growth is greater than alfalfa. It seems to thrive 

 very well indeed on soils that are markedly acid in nature. 



The rate and time of seeding winter vetch varies with the 

 purposes for which the crop may be grown : 



1. When desired for a forage crop with oats, and to follow this 

 crop in the clover and timothy, use from 6 to 8 pounds of 

 winter vetch seed per acre in addition to the regular seeding of 

 oats, clover and grass seed. Grown in this manner the vetch does 

 not interfere materially with the oat crop harvest. 



2. Grown as a soiling' crop with oats, use 10 to 12 pounds 

 per acre with the usual, or somewhat heavier, rate of seeding of 

 oats. The aftergrowth of vetch may be pastured or plowed under 

 as a soil improver. 



3. When grown for seed, use 25 pounds of winter vetch with 

 one-half bushel of rye or wheat per acre. This crop should be 

 seeded early in order tliat the vetch may get well established 

 before winter. The method f o^r growing ^ winter vetch seed in 

 !N"ew York State is not yet well established. 



SWEET CLOVER 



The sweet clover crop within the past two years has received 

 considerable notice, but as yet we are not justified in recommend- 

 ing its culture where alfalfa will grow well. Sweet clover seems 

 to thrive well under conditions where alfalfa is not successfully 

 grown, and for this reason the crop may have an important use 

 in certain sections of the state. 



