124 FORAGE CROPS. 



localities several degrees north of that line. In 

 Canada its cultivation is not likely to prove 

 profitable. 



Place in the Rotation. — Since the sand vetch is 

 a legume, and since it would seem to be more suitable 

 in providing pasture than for any other use, it 

 should usually be grov^^n between two crops of grain, 

 as when thus grown it has a cleaning and also a reno^ 

 vating influence upon the land. 



Soil. — As the name would indicate, the sand 

 vetch has special adaptation for sandy soils. It 

 would seem to have a decided capacity to grow on 

 light sands too poor to produce good crops of the 

 common vetch, the cowpea or crimson clover. But 

 it will, of course, grow more vigorously on a better 

 class of soils. 



Preparing the Soil. — In preparing the soil for 

 the sand vetch the aim should be to secure a fine seed 

 bed. It is not usually difficult to do so on light soils, 

 but such soils should also be firmed by running the 

 roller over them before sowing the seed. In some 

 of the southern states the seed of the sand vetch 

 may be sown on stubble land from which grain 

 crops have been removed and then covered with 

 the harrow. 



Sowing the Seed. — Where the plants are 

 unable to endure the cold of winter, the seed can 

 only be sown in the spring. At the Minnesota Uni- 

 versity experiment station, results somewhat encour- 

 aging were obtained from sowing the seed along 

 with oats. One bushel of the vetch seed was used 

 per acre along with half that amount of oats. The 

 oats were cut for hay when nicely out in head. A 

 considerable proportion of the mixture consisted of 



