MINOR CROPS. 329 



3 feet in height, which generally branch from near the base. 

 The plant when unsupported is decumbent in habit. The 

 leaves are numerous and compound, terminating in tendrils. 

 The leaflets are oblong, square at the end and decidedly muc- 

 ronate. The flowers are in pairs at the base of the leaves, gene- 

 rally purple to rose-coloured, but are somteimes entirely white. 

 The pods are brown, each containing from four to five, usually 

 grey or marbled seeds which are readily shattered at maturity. 

 Vetches are seldom cross-fertilised. This species is indigenous 

 to Europe, Asia and Northern Africa. 



V. villosa. — This is also a winter annual, the stems of 

 which reach a length of about 12 feet. It grows from 2 to 4 

 feet in height, winding and trailing in all directions, like 

 Common Vetch, from which it is easily distinguished, even if 

 no flowers are developed, by its hairiness, the whole plant being 

 covered with long, soft, spreading hairs, which often give it a 

 white woolly appearance. The leaves are compound and the 

 leaflets gradually taper towards the apex. The flowers are 

 purple to pale blue in colour, borne on long peduncles, and are 

 smaller than those of sativa. The pods are smooth, pale- 

 coloured, containing two to eight small black globose seeds, 

 velvety when fresh. It is hardier to cold than sativa and its 

 early growth is much slower. It has a deep and much branched 

 rooting system. This species is indigenous to Europe and 

 Asia. 



Habits of Growth. — Although closely related, the 

 development of peas and vetches is very different. The main 

 stem of the pea plant grows during the whole life of the plant, 

 but the branches are less vigorous. In a vetch the main stem 

 soon stops growth and strong lateral branches are developed 

 from the base. In this respect their winter annual character- 

 istics are shown, since in the colder parts they start growth 

 later in the season, remain stationary during winter, and com- 

 plete development during the summer. The seedling staj?e, 

 particularly in the case of Hairy Vetch, is very disappointing : 

 however, once active growth commences, the ground is soon 

 covered and a dense deep mat is formed. 



When used as hay croys they are always grown in con- 

 junction with oats, barley or rye, as without these harvesting 

 with a mower w^ould be practically impossible on account of 

 their prostrate and entangled habit of growth. 



In northern countries sativa is generally sown in the spring 

 and villosa in the winter. In South Africa, however, little 



