Vetch 751 



the " tare " of England so generally used as a forage crop. In 

 habits it is strictly annual, growing in much the same manner as 

 Canadian field peas. '' The leaves are pinnate with about seven 

 pairs of leaflets and a terminal tendril. The flower are violet- 

 purple, rarely white, and born in pairs on a very short stalk." * 

 The podsi are rather long, brovni in color, and contain five to seven 

 slightly compressed seeds easily distinguishable from the black, 

 spherical seeds of hairy vetch. 



In ISTew York State this variety is grown almost entirely as a 

 forage crop, being handled in much the same manner as Canadian 

 field peas. Owing to its trailing habit, it is grown with companion 

 crops such as oats or barley and generally cut and fed green or 

 cured for hay. Very little, if any, common vetch seed is produced 

 in the state, although there appears to be no reason why seed 

 cannot be produced. 



As a general practice, common vetch is seeded in the early 

 spring with a companion crop of oats or barley. The rate of 

 seeding varies from 30' to 50 pounds of vetch with 2^/^ to 3 bushels 

 of oats per acre. The resultant crop makes a very satisfactory 

 crop to cut and feed green, or the crop may be cut and cured as 

 hay. It is seldom grown alone in this state. For the above pur- 

 pose, however, it is doubtful whether common vetch is superior 

 or even equal to Canadian field peas, which are grown in much 

 the same manner. 



The greater part of the seed of common vetch is produced in the 

 states of Washington and Oregon. 



Hairy, Sand, or " Winter Vetch " (Vicia villosa) 



The second of the economically important vetches in jSTew York 

 'State is hairy, sand, or "' winter vetch." So many common names 

 applied to the same plant may be confusing, but the habits and 

 appearances of this variety are quite distinct and easily recog- 

 nizable. 



Hairy vetch, as it is more commonly known in this state, has 

 either annual or biennial habits, depending on the time of year 

 the seed is sown. It is winter-hardy in this state, whereas the 

 common vetch is not. .E^xperiences during the past five years 



* Farmers' Bulletin 515, U. S. Dept. of Agr. 



