VETCHES AND VETCH-LIKE PLANTS 469 



it obtained little prominence until 1886, when it was again 

 introduced by the Department of Agriculture, since which 

 time it has become more and more appreciated. 



567. Climatic adaptations. Hairy vetch is naturally 

 adapted to cool temperate climates, under which condi- 

 tions it behaves normally as a winter annual. The seeds 

 ripen from July to September, germinate the same season, 

 and the plant reaches maturity the next season. If 

 planted in spring, the growth made is not nearly so large 

 as if planted in fall. In the Northern States spring 

 plantings may produce some flowers but rarely produce 

 pods, the plants living over the winter and coming to 

 maturity the second season. In the Southern States fall 

 plantings are necessary, as hairy vetch will not withstand 

 the heat of the summer. The cold resistance of the plants 

 is very marked, hairy vetch rarely winter-killing in any 

 of the states if well established in the fall. It is also 

 markedly drought resistant, much more so than common 

 vetch. 



Perhaps correlated with its greater hardiness is the 

 fact that hairy vetch makes much less growth in winter 

 than common vetch and other species. On this account 

 hairy vetch is not desirable as a green-manure crop to be 

 plowed under in early spring. 



568. Soil preferences. Hairy vetch prefers sandy 

 or sandy loam soils, especially such as are rich in lime. 

 The plant will succeed, however, in a great variety of soils, 

 doing well even on clays, provided they are well drained, 

 but does not succeed on very wet soils. It is quite 

 resistant to alkali, and will germinate in soils too alkaline 

 for most legumes. 



569. Rate of seeding. Hairy vetch is not often sown 

 alone, but when this is the case, the common American 



