VETCHES AND VETCH-LIKE PLANTS 481 



seed, when the lower pods turn black. The shocks are 

 allowed to cure about two weeks before thrashing. 



Horse beans have found but a small place in American 

 agriculture. As a winter crop they succeed well in Cali- 

 fornia, where they are grown to some extent as a vegetable, 

 and have been used as a green-manure crop. On the north 

 Pacific Coast, where climatic conditions are much like 

 those of Europe, they also succeed well. The hardy 

 winter varieties will usually survive the winter if planted 

 in fall as far north as the District of Columbia. Farther 

 south they have, in some seasons at least, given splendid 

 results when thus planted, and would probably succeed 

 generally. If planted in the spring, they suffer severely 

 from hot summer weather, the herbage turning black. 

 Even as far north as Ontario they suffer from heat, and 

 after 15 years' experimental work at the Ontario Agricul- 

 tural College, the conclusion is reached that the crop is not 

 to be recommended, as the results are usually unsatis- 

 factory. The best yield of seed, 29 bushels to an acre, 

 was secured in an unusually cool season. 



In Germany, the yield of green feed to an acre ranges 

 from 14,000 to 20,000 pounds, and of seed from 25 to 50 

 bushels. When grown for green feed, horse beans are 

 often mixed with peas or common vetch. 



589. Bird or tufted vetch (Vicia cracca) is a perennial 

 species native to Eurasia, also occurring naturally in 

 North America from Newfoundland to New Jersey, west 

 to Minnesota and perhaps to Washington. Bird vetch 

 closely resembles hairy vetch, but the herbage is less 

 pubescent. In Europe bird vetch occurs as a weed in 

 grain fields, and the commercial seed is that separated 

 from the grain. It is commonly mixed with that of 

 Vicia hirsuta and Vicia tetrasperma. 

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