130 FODDER AND PASTURE PLANTS. 



HAIRY VETCH {Vicia villosa Roth.) 



Plate 25; Seed, Plate 27, Fig. 39. 



Other English name: Winter Vetch. 



Botanical description: As indicated by its name, this plant 

 is a winter annual (see page 137). It grows from two to four feet 

 high, winding and trailing in all directions like Common Vetch, from 

 which plant it is easily distinguished, even if no flowers are developed, 

 by its hairiness, the whole plant being covered with long, soft, spread- 

 ing hairs which often give it a white-woolly appearance. The leaves 

 are compound, like those of Common Vetch, but the leaflets gradually 

 taper towards the apex and the tendrils are more branched. The 

 flowers are in rich, long-stalked clusters, smaller than those of Com- 

 mon Vetch and purple to pale blue in colour. 



Geographical distribution: Hairy Vetch is indigenous to 

 Europe and southwestern Asia. Its cultivation in Europe began 

 about the middle of the nineteenth century, at about which time it 

 was introduced into North America. It is grown to a limited extent 

 in Canada, almost exclusively in the fruit-growing districts of southern 

 Ontario. 



Cultural conditions: Hairy Vetch does not require as good 

 soil as does Common Vetch. It can be grown on poor, sandy soil, 

 but will of course give heavier returns on rich, well prepared land. 

 It is decidedly hardier than Common Vetch and stands southern 

 Ontario winters without injury. 



Habits of growth: It is generally sown in the summer, the 

 exact time depending on the climate. The main object is to obtain 

 a good stand before the cold weather begins. The plants pass the 

 winter in southern Ontario without being killed and start growth 

 early in the spring. 



Agricultural value: In Ontario it is grown almost exclusively 

 as a cover and green manure crop in orchards. It produces a great 

 bulk of green matter and is apt to grow too rank to be easily ploughed 

 under. Half a bushel of good seed per acre is sufficient to produce 

 a fair stand of plants. When grown for seed it is either sown alone 

 or with winter rye, which supports the vines and retards the splitting 



