HAIRY VETCH 271 



per acre, with the wheat or rye, the former being 

 sown at the rate of one bushel per acre and the 

 latter at the rate of three -fourths of a bushel per 

 acre. It will be one of the first crops ready for 

 use in spring, as it matures with the cereal. 



The chief advantage of the use of hairy vetch 

 with rye or wheat lies in the fact that a larger 

 crop of forage may be secured than when the 

 cereal is grown alone. The chief disadvantage of 

 this crop is the expensiveness of the seed, but this 

 difficulty will doubtless be overcome as soon as 

 the value of the crop is known and larger areas 

 are grown. Owing to its very early growth it may 

 be pastured to advantage when not convenient to 

 use as a soiling crop, usually coming earlier than 

 ordinary pastures are ready. Of course the quan- 

 tity of forage will be less when used as pasture 

 than when cut and carried to the barn. It is not 

 so desirable for hay as the spring vetch, because 

 good hay weather does not usually prevail. 



Composition of Hairy Vetch 



One ton 



An average 



*>■"-■» SSSftS 



Per cent Lbs. Lbs. 



Water 88.10 ... ... 



Dry matter 11.90 238 1,190 



Ether extract 0.50 10 50 



Crude fiber 2.60 52 260 



Protein ......... 3.50 70 350 



Ash , . . 1.50 30 150 



Nitrogen- free extract . . 3.80 76 380 



