476 FORAGE PLANTS AND THEIR CULTURE 







germination. Shamel reports experiments from Connecti- 

 cut which seem to indicate that Connecticut-grown 

 seed is considerably hardier than Russian seed. The 

 experience at the Ontario Agricultural College shows 

 clearly that acclimatized seed gives better results. The 

 seed yield alone averaged 2.5 bushels more to an acre 

 during 7 years from the acclimatized strain. 



581. Seeds. The seeds of hairy vetch are globose. 

 Most of them appear black, but really are black marbled 

 on an olive ground 

 color. Rarely olive- 

 colored seeds are 

 found. When fresh, 

 the surface appears 

 velvety. They vary 

 9 ^^ greatly in size, but 

 W @ one p Oun( i of an 



FIG. 56. Seeds of average sample con- 

 1 T 5 V et / > Vici( \ tains from 70,000 to 



villosa). (Natural 



size.) 80,000 seeds. Fresh 



seeds germinate well, 

 usually over 90 per cent. Seeds a year old are charac- 

 terized by a high percentage, 10 per cent to 40 per 

 cent, of hard seeds which lie in the ground a long time 

 without germinating. According to Hillman, the pro- 

 portion of hard seeds diminishes in seeds older than one 

 year. 



Other vetch seeds, especially small seeds of common 

 vetch, are used to adulterate hairy vetch. These can 

 usually be detected by their grayish or mottled color. 

 Hillman points out that hairy vetch seeds can be distin- 

 guished from any other vetch seed used as an adulterant 

 by the shape of the hilum or seed scar. In hairy vetch 



FIG. 57. Seed 

 scar of hairy vetch ; 

 a and b, forms show- 

 ing the white, central 

 slit of some scars. 

 (Enlarged.) 



