676 



FARMERS' REGISTER— WINTER VETCHES. 



cheaper, than a thatched one, while the endless ex- 

 pense fur future repairs would be in a great mea- 

 sure avoided. It may be said these tiles are not 

 to be had in this country ; true they are not, Init 

 one or two for patterns, with one of the moulds 

 used, could easily be obtained from England or 

 Scotland, and tlien they could be made in any 

 quantity at those establishments here, where ridge 

 tileSj flooring tiles, bricks, &c. are manufactured." 



WINTER VETCHES. 



From a late " Practical Treatise on y/gric^iUure,'" 

 by Richard IV. Lloyd, London, 1833. 



" A common notion prevails respecting this 

 plant, that it is useless to sow it witliout manuring 

 very highly, and with such an impression it is not 

 to be wondered at, that the cultivation of it is ne- 

 glected, for farmers naturally enough will apply 

 their manure to crops they consider more valua- 

 ble; but this opinion is quite erroneous, and how 

 it was ever created I do not know, it is therefore 

 high time to controvert it. As facts have much 

 greater weight on men's minds than any thing that 

 can be advanced in the shape of theory, I will 

 state, that in the autumns of 1829, and 1830, I 

 sowed vetches, three bushels to the acre, (at the 

 end of October, much too late.) on land of very 

 ordinary quality, without any manure, and in June 

 cut them of very luxuriant growth : I merely 

 mention this as a fact worth knowing, Avhere a' 

 contrary opinion prevails. Every crop will, of 

 course, do better with, than without manure; but 

 of all the plants that I am acquainted with, I do not 

 know one that will thrive better without, than the 

 winter vetch : if the farmer can spare manure for 

 it, tiie crop will, of course, be stronger and more 

 abundant. I sowed t\vo acres on the 19th of last 

 September, (two measures to the acre,) hall' of the 

 field being manured and the other not, and the dif- 

 ference in forwardness is very great; the vetches 

 on that part which was manured are now (12th of 

 April, 1832) ten or twelve inciies high, and if the 

 spring be mild, will be quite ready for cutting the 

 first week in May : the others, sown without ma- 

 nure, are about six or seven inches high, and will 

 be ready for cutting by the time the earliest are 

 consumed. It is well to have a certain breadth of 

 land sown with spring vetches, to succeed the win- 

 ter : I have two acres of the spring vetches at this 

 time (12th April) just peeping through the earth, 

 whicli is a practice worth a farmer's consideration. 



" It is impossible to distinguish a difference be- 

 tween the spring and winter vetch seed ; but if 

 any imposition is practised on a farmer by his 

 seedsman, it may be detected as soon as the plants 

 spring up : the winter vetch comes up green, and 

 the spring vetch of a deep brown purple color: 

 this observation may be useful, as it enables the 

 farmer, in case of sowing a spurious sort in the 

 autumn, to detect the imposition : if he finds he 

 has sown the spring kind at that time, he must 

 plough his land again, and apply it to some other 

 purpose, for the spring kind will not stand the 

 winter. I should recommend every farmer pur- 

 chasing the winter vetch to have the seed warrant- 

 ed; and when he has got the right sort, afterwards 

 to raise his own. 



" The great secret in the cultivation of this crop 

 is to sow early ; it may be sown from the middle 

 of August to the middle of October : if sown be- 



tween the end of August and twentieth of Sep- 

 tember, two measures of seed will be sufficient per 

 acre; if later, tiiree measures : the early sowing is 

 far preferable, as it saves seed, and becomes ready 

 to cut much earlier than the late sown ; but for 

 (he sake of succession, perhaps to sow at two dif- 

 ferent periods of the autunui is the best plan. 



" Some farmers throw in a small quantity of 

 rye or winter* barley, for the purpose of support- 

 ing the vetches ; but 1 think the practice unneces- 

 sary, for the corn blades are not strong enough to 

 answer the purpose intended. 



" The advantages of this crop are very great, it 

 improves land, and by its rapid growth destroys all 

 weeds; if any should come up among them, they 

 are cut down before they ripen their seed: to 

 cleanse land from the wild rape or charlock, no 

 crop is belter than the vetch, both falling together 

 under the scythe in a green slate. It is a good 

 preparation for any kind of corn, pulse, or green 

 crop, the chief observances being only to sow them 

 early and on clean land : as soon as ever the stub- 

 bles are cleared, let such of them as are intended 

 for this crop be prepared; if manure can be spared 

 for them, it must be remembered that the land will 

 be in sufficient heart, for any crop whatever, tlie 

 ensuing year, without an additional quantity. 



'■ An idea prevails in this country, that land af- 

 ter having been a certain number of years under 

 the plough, becomes sick and unproductive, and 

 that the only remedy is to lay it down to grass. 

 Let farmers occasionally throw in a crop of winter 

 vetches, and they will find their land as much re- 

 novated by them as the laying down system. It 

 has been well proved in tlie neighborhood of Lon- 

 don, that land, by the growth of them, may be 

 brought to the very highest state of fertility ; there 

 are fields in those districts that are constantly under 

 the plough, and every year yielding good crops. 

 To so high a state of cultivation have they brought 

 their land, that after the vetches they put in tur- 

 nips, gaining two well matured croi)S in one j-ear, 

 and after the turnips sow wheat or barley. This 

 is a system that cannot be adopted in Wales until 

 great improvements have taken place, because the 

 land is not rich enougli to produce two crops in the 

 same year, nor are tlie farmers active enough to 

 effect.it; it will be a sufficient pleasure and satis- 

 faction to the country, w hen we see farmers insure 

 to themselves by their industry and skill one good 

 crop in the twelve months, and when that period 

 arrives, which I fear is far distant, it will then be 

 time to talk of two crops. 



" As a food nothing can be better than vetches, 

 they support horses, cows, and sheep well; and 

 store jjigs thrive as well upon them, as any other 

 food that can be given to them. I should recom- 

 mend every farmer to keep his pigs up in styes, in 

 each of which there should be a cratch, through 

 which the pigs will draw the vetches, and every 

 morsel will be eat; if they are thrown carelessly 

 into the stye, a large quantity is wasted by being 

 trodden under foot. The pigs should be kept quite 

 clean by frequent littering, and have as much food 

 supplied as they will eat; the quantity of manure 



+ This grain is much more profitable tlian the common 

 spring sort. It is in its nature similar to wheat ; it 

 bears -sowing at the same time, and stands frost equally 

 well. The ears being six rowed, it yields mucli more 

 abundantly tlian tlie spring barley, and ri])ens from about 

 the 20th to the end of July in this climate. 



