66 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE 



HAIRY VETCH. 



Yicia villosa. 



This plant lias also been called Villous vetch, Sand vetch, Winter vetch, 

 Russian vetch and Siberian vetch. It is a native of western Asia and has 

 been cultivated to some extent in Europe for about fifty years, particularly 

 in northern Germany. Other species of vetch are cultivated in certain 

 parts of Europe more largely than this one, but within the past few years 

 hairy vetch has received increased attention in both Europe and America. 

 This plant is of special interest to growers in this country on account of 

 its hardiness and its prospect of filling a place not fully occupied by any of 

 our other leguminous crops. Then, too, while some of the other vetches 

 have been of greater value in Europe this one appears to be the oaly 

 species which thus far has shown a fair prospect of success in the United 

 States. Among the inquiries that have come to the station regarding this 

 plant within the past two years several are from seedsmen who have been 

 investigating its merits with the view of offering the seed to their cus- 

 tomers. 



Under date of January 26, 1896, Peter Henderson & Co. write: — 



"We are much interested in this plant, believing that it is a good deal 

 hardier than Scarlet clover and will prove to be a valuable forage plant 

 for fall sowing." 



J. A. Everitt writes November 9, 1896: "If you have made any tests of 

 Yicia villosa (Sand vetch) we would like to have bulletins containing the 

 reports." 



The Northup, Braslan, Goodwin Co. wrote in March, 1894: "We are in 

 receipt from one of our European correspondents of a sample of Sand 

 vetch, or 'Yicia villosa.' He says regarding it: 'There is another plant 

 which is coming very much forward here, and which has done well. We 

 did not see a single notice yet in any of the American catalogues, and still 

 we may say that it is a remarkable plant. It was grown considerably last 

 year in Europe, and did splendidly; especially through the dryness. This 

 vetch is called 'Sand vetch' because it will grow on the worst land, as dry 

 as sand, but it will do as well on wet land, in fact on any land, from the 

 poorest — excepting poor chalk; 50,000 kilos on the hectare has been 

 obtained in three cuts; that is over 20 tons per acre. It is sown in August 

 in winter rye, and if the time is good you may have a cut before winter. 

 If not, let it stand, and early in the spring, in April, you may have a cut 

 of five tons to the acre. In twenty-five days later you may have another 

 cut, which is generally larger than the first. You may have a third cut 

 thirty days later, and then you turn it in. It contains very much nitrogen- 

 ous matter. You must sow with rye because that vetch do come so high 

 that it cannot stand up, and the rye serves as poles. It does not freeze. 

 We tell you there is something in that vetoh, especially for countries 

 where it does not much rain — dry lands.' You will notice that we have 

 quoted the exact words of the Belgian who wrote us this letter. We 

 divide with you the small package that he sent us, and should be glad to 

 have you try it and have your opinion. Should this, in your judgment, 

 prove valuable, we shall likely give it considerable mention in our cata- 

 logue another year." 



