2 BULLETIN 1289, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
and by Stephen Elliott (2) , who in his Flora of South Carolina, Vol- 
ume II, 1824, records that it was growing about Charleston, S. C., 
very abundantly. 
AREA ADAPTED TO COMMON VETCH 
Common vetch is rather exacting with regard to temperature and 
soil conditions. The portions of the United States to which it is 
particularly adapted are limited. As a commercial crop it is confined 
to the region in Washington, Oregon, and California having mild 
winter temperatures. Only the most hardy varieties will survive 
the average winter of the South Atlantic and Gulf Coast States. 
Not enough experimental work has been done to determine the limi- 
tations of the several varieties in the last-named region, but it seems 
probable that when properly handled the most winter-hardy strains 
can be grown in limited areas at least. 
Fig. 1 .—Map of the United States, showing by shading the region where common vetch should be fall 
sown. The double crosshatching indicates the region in which it does especially well. To most of 
the unshaded area common vetch is not well adapted and can be grown only as a spring-sown crop 
General conditions in Arizona and adjacent territory are such that 
it is reasonable to expect common vetch to do well as a winter crop 
in this region. In irrigated areas at low elevations, however, it is 
rather difficult to get it to do well. This probably is due to the lack 
of inoculating organisms. 
In all regions having winter temperatures approaching zero Fahren- 
heit, common vetch can be grown only as a spring-sown crop, and as 
yet it has not been found advantageous to seed it extensively in this 
way (fig. 1). It is used to some extent, however, in the North as a 
pasture and cover crop and as a hay crop in combination with the 
small grains. The imports of common-vetch seed received under 
the name of spring vetch have averaged 534,143 pounds annually 
since 1914 (Table 1), and this quantity probably is sown each season 
in the eastern United States. 
