it is highly prized as a dairy feed. Steers being fed vetch may be 

 expected to gain from two to three pounds daily. 



SAND OR HAIRY VETCH 



The hairy vetch is more drouth- and cold-resistant than the 

 common vetch and may be sown in early fall in cold regions where 

 irrigation is practiced. The young plants should be well established 

 before winter sets in or they will winter-kill badly. On well-prepared 

 ground where the moisture has been conserved it may be sown in 

 the spring. Because of its drouth-resistant qualities it is better 

 adapted to poor gravelly or sandy soils than the common vetch. It 

 is much more tolerant of heat than the common vetch and makes its 

 most rapid growth during warm spring weather. 



The methods of seeding prescribed for common vetch may also 

 be applied to the hairy vetch. As the seed is about one-half the size 

 of the common vetch, much less is required per acre, twenty to thirty 

 pounds being sufficient. The forage is relished by all classes of stock. 

 The leafage remains green during the coldest weather of Lassen and 

 Modoc counties and we have grown it in Nevada, where the ther- 

 mometer reached ten degrees below zero and yet only the tender tips 

 of the vines were frozen. One drawback is the cost of the seed, being 

 usually three or more times that of the common vetch. As most of 

 the seed came from Europe it is difficult to secure it in this country 

 now at a reasonable price. Seed could, however, readily be grown 

 in California and would be a profitable crop at the present time. 



HORSE BEANS 



The horse-bean plant is a tall coarse erect-stemmed vetch. The 

 large-seeded flat varieties are preferred for human food and the 

 smaller, more oval-seeded varieties for stock. The seed may be sown 

 broadcast, alone, or with peas or vetch, or drilled in rows eight to 

 fourteen inches apart. About four bushels of seed per acre are 

 required. Fall planting is desirable as the plants dislike hot weather 

 and under such conditions readily succumb to aphis or turn black. 

 The best method of utilizing the leafage is by soiling, cutting the 

 plants when in full bloom. If left for seed it should be cut when 

 the lower pods turn black and put into shocks for about two weeks 

 before threshing. Horses are very fond of the beans which are 

 especially valuable to mix with oats in the feed ration where hard 

 work is required. 



RAPE 



There are a number of kinds of plants known as rape. One called 

 summer rape or colza is grown chiefly for the oil which is extracted 



