FERTILIZING VALUE OF HAIRY VETCH. 5 



Ounces of 

 Cover crop and method of use. Treatment. tobacco." 



Hairy vetch turned under No fertilizer 5.75 



Hairy vetch removed Fertilized 5.28 



Hairy vetch turned under Fertilized 7,75 



Rye turned under No fertilizer 4,25 



Rye removed Fertilized 5.25 



Rye turned under Fertilized 6.25 



^Average of four pots. 



It would thus appear that the turning under of the inoculated hairy 

 vetch was slightly superior to the application of 200 pounds of sodium 

 nitrate to the acre, while the turning under of rye was inferior to the 

 application of the fertilizer. When the cover crops were turned under 

 and fertilizer added the vetch again showed greater fertilizing power 

 than rye. In pots which had borne no cover crop the application of 

 nitrate of soda at the rate of 500 pounds to the acre was no more effec- 

 tive than the use of 200 pounds to the acre. 



CONCLUSIONS. 



In presenting this report, no mention has been made of the influence 

 on the soil of the hairy vetch crop aside from its property when inocu- 

 lated of furnishing nitrogen, thus allowing a considerable reduction in 

 quantity of the expensive nitrogenous fertilizers. As a preventive of 

 wind and water erosion the matlike growth of hairy vetch gives it great 

 value ; as a source of humus its extensive root system and the readily 

 decomposable nature of the whole plant are peculiar advantages, and it 

 seems to possess in addition, on land successively cropped to tobacco, 

 a green-manuring value considerably above its purely chemical content 

 and the physical improvement of the soil resulting from its use. The 

 full nature and amount of these benefits will require more extensive 

 tests, but the results here reported are presented as a partial guide to 

 those interested in the utilization of hairy vetch as a cover and fertiliz- 

 ing crop. 



O 



