130 Peach-Growing 



the common vetch appears to be preferred in Oregon and 

 CaUfornia. 



If not sown too late, even in the North, hairy vetch will 

 make considerable growth in the fall ; it forms an excellent 

 cover for the ground during the winter and starts into 

 growth as does rye very early in the spring. By the time 

 the soil is dry enough to work, particularly in those regions 

 where a heavy snowfall or copious winter rains supply 

 abundant moisture, a heavy growth of herbage has been made 

 and is ready to be plowed under. In many essential par- 

 ticulars, therefore, hairy vetch is an almost ideal cover- 

 crop when a legume is desired. 



Seeding may be done over a rather long period but where 

 grown for the first time the inoculation of the soil with nod- 

 ule-forming bacteria is of much importance. In the far 

 South seeding any time from the middle of September to 

 December will suffice, while in middle latitudes the dates 

 advance a month. In the North seed is usually put in dur- 

 ing the last half of July and in August. Seeding should 

 not be delayed much later than the first of September. 



For cover-crop purposes, seeding broadcast and harrow- 

 ing in is the common practice. Sometimes the vetch is 

 mixed with rye, oats, or wheat and put in with a seed-drill. 

 Where it has not been grown before and is sowed alone, at 

 least 25 or 30 pounds of seed to the acre should be used if 

 broadcasted. 



For cover- and green-manure crop purposes, hairy vetch 

 is probably used more often with oats, wheat, barley, or rye 

 than alone. Used by itself it mats down rather closely to 

 the ground, but with either of the grains named it stands 

 erect. Twenty or 25 pounds of vetch seed and one bushel 

 of rye to the acre make a good combination. In the South 



