220 SOILING CROPS AND THE SILO. 



The sand vetch will probably survive the winter 

 except in situations much exposed north of the forty- 

 third parallel, and in certain areas it will probably 

 live one or two degrees further to the north. It has 

 always perished in the winter in thg trials made at 

 the Minnesota University Experiment farm, but on 

 the Pacific coast it ought to succeed as far north as 

 Alaska. East of the Rocky mountains it is not likely 

 to prove of much value to the agriculture of Canada. 



As the name implies, the sand vetch has much 

 power to grow on sandy soils, and soils low in fer- 

 tility. Its highest use will probably be found in 

 enriching such lands since it is a legume. Its next 

 highest value will probably be found in the pasture 

 which it furnishes, more especially in southern lati- 

 tudes. But it will also be grown more or less for 

 soiling food and for hay and more especially in con- 

 junction with some other crop. 



The Flat Pea. — The flat pea (Lafhyrus sylvcs- 

 tris), although tried more or less fully by not a few 

 of the agricultural experiment stations in the United 

 States, has not come into much favor. Some of the 

 experimenters pronounce against it and others 

 speak discouragingly with reference to it. No one 

 who has tried this plant in America is enthusiastic 

 over it. In no instances have more than two good 

 cuttings been reported per year. 



The flat pea is a perennial. It is partly upright 

 and partly vine-like in its habit of growth. The 

 stems intertwine considerably but not so much as 

 do those of the sand vetch {Vicia villosa). The 

 plants bear no little resemblance to those of the grass 

 pea, but are considerably larger and coarser. They 

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