Soil Fertility 65 



as the stems of the grain prevent much of the matting together 

 of the vines. From twenty-five to thirty pounds of vetch 

 and four pecks of grain is the usual seeding. Spring vetch 

 is similar to hairy vetch in appearance and growth. It 

 requires a cool climate, and is grown as a spring-planted crop 

 in the North and as a fall-planted crop in the South and the 

 Pacific Coast States. The crop is used most extensively 

 where it can be planted in the fall and is preferred by many 

 to hairy vetch. The usual range of planting is from September 

 to November. The seed is often planted with oats. The 

 rate of planting varies from forty to sixty pounds of vetch 

 to an equal weight of oats. In the California citrus regions, 

 common vetch is planted with barley as a winter cover-crop. 

 The usual rate of seeding is thirty pounds of vetch and thirty 

 pounds of barley. The seeds of common vetch are somewhat 

 larger than those of hairy vetch, which accounts for the dif- 

 ference in the rate of seeding. 



Canada field peas. In Canada and the northern part of 

 the United -States, Canada field peas are much used as a green- 

 manure crop. They are well adapted to a cool, moist climate 

 and make the best growth in the spring and early summer. 

 They are usually planted with oats. The rate of seeding 

 varies in different sections from one to two bushels of peas 

 to one to two bushels of oats. The seed should be planted as 

 early in the spring as the ground can be prepared. Field peas 

 are used as a fall-sown crop in California. From eighty to 

 ninety pounds of seed are sown to the acre. 



Velvet beans. Especially in the citrus growing sections of 

 Florida and also to some extent farther north, velvet beans 

 are planted for green-manure. They make a dense growth of 

 foliage and in a grove care must be taken that the vines do 

 not get into the trees, for they may entwine among the branches 

 to such an extent as to become a nuisance. A few rows of 

 corn are often planted to provide stems on which the plants 

 can climb. In Florida the seed is sown any time from the 



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