EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 



371 



and packers at harvesting time. It does well upon a variety of soils 

 but api>ears to succeed better upon a sandy soil than ujton a heavy clay. 

 It does not grow very large in the fall and for this reason it is well to 

 sow a bushel of oats or rye per acre at the time the vetch seed is sown. 

 The oats will make a quick growth or "catch crop" and die late in the 

 fall, the rye will live over winter and grow in the spring. It has 

 been tried from Emmet county to Berrien county and has not winter- 

 killed except in a very few much exposed knolls. It adds a large amount 

 of nitrogen and humus to the soil. In May, 1911, the crop not including 

 roots on one square yard was 5 lbs., equal to 12 tons per acre. 



Mammoth clover sown Aug. 20, 1910. Photo 

 Oct. 12, 1910. 



Mammoth Clover. Samn orchard as sown 

 on left. Condition on May 18, 1911. 



The difficulty of plowing under this heavy growth in the spring will 

 not be troublesome if done at the proper time. Should the growth be 

 excessively large, use a chain or rolling coulter upon the plow. 



Good results have been secured from the use of 20 to 25 pounds of 

 seed sown broadcast and if drilled, the amount can be reduced to 18 

 pounds or possibly 15 pounds with a bushel of oats. 



It is hoped that Michigan fruit growers who have not yet tested this 

 promising plant for a cover crop, will do so this season. 



SPRING VETCH. NITROGEN GATHERER. 



This plant is sometimes confused with the winter vetch. To the 

 casual observer, it looks similar. If sown late in July or early in August 

 and a liberal amount of seed (90 pounds per acre) is used, a very heavy 



