288 AGRICULTURE ON THE PACIFIC SLOPE 



not liked by stock when green because of some bitterness. It 

 bears burry seed pods with hooked bristles, which remain on 

 the ground during the dry season. As these are full of food, 

 they form a very valuable part of the "dry pasture" which 

 helps to carry stock over summer. But when sheep are 

 allowed to run on such pastures, the burs get into their wool 

 and greatly lessen the value of the wool in the market. The 

 bur clover also serves as a good greenmanure, and so, al- 

 though a weed, is not unwelcome. 



The vetches may be known by their "compound" leaves 

 with many small leaflets on one stalk, like the wild one that 

 grows all over the Pacific Coast. There is one, the hairy 

 vetch, which is much used as a greenmanure plant and also 

 for hay. It has very beautiful dark pink or red flowers, 

 and forms a heavy mat on the ground with its twining stems 

 and leaves. 



The hairy vetch, and the Canadian field pea (which differs 

 little from the common garden pea), the Ochrus pea, and 

 several others imported from Algeria are used as green- 

 manure crops (page 141), because they grow during the 

 mild California winters and can be plowed under in early 

 spring, so as not to waste the moisture needed by orchard 

 trees or vines. 



The lentil is a small vetch, with lens-shaped seeds, which 

 have long been esteemed as a good food to replace meat in 

 times when meat is not to be eaten. Hence the name Lent 

 for the forty days before Easter. 



ROOT CROPS 



The various root crops are plants having enlarged 

 or swollen roots or underground stems, such as turnips 



