Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1898-05-12
THE CULTIVATED WITCHES
Recommended as q Desirable Addition to
the List Of Forage Plants.

Recommended as q Desirable Addition to
the List of Forage Plants.
The demand for early spring forage
crops is increasing in almost every sec.
tion of the United States. This demand
arises from variety of causes, chief
among which is the rapid increase of
the dairying industry. Selling crops
and pastures supply the desired succu-
lent forage from early summer until the
first hard autumn freeze and ensilage
and root crops tide over the early win
ter, but on too many American farms
there is period of shortage Of suoculent
feed in late winter and spring. To bridge
over this critical period annual legumi-
nous crops, such as crimson clover and
the vetches, are each year coming deserv-
eddy into greater prominence.
The vetches are also useful because
they form living mulch in spring and
early winter, shading the ground and
preventing the growth of weeds, thus
retarding the constant loss of soluble
plant foods that is going on wherever
soil is left bare and unprotected from
the direct action of the elements.
In the southern states vetches should
be sown in the late summer or early
fall, SO that they may be out of the way
in time to plant the next season IS field
crops. In the north or wherever the
winters are severe they may be sown in
early spring at the same time as the
spring wheat or other small grain.
In addition to the foregoing, bulle-
tin by Jared G. Smith of the United
States agricultural department gives the
following as to different kinds of
yetches: Hairy vetch withstands winter
cold and summer drought, but it does
not do well where there is an excess of
water in the soil. 1t is one of the most
promising fodder crops which has been
brought into the United Stays in re-
cent years and by some is considered es-
pecially valuable for light sandy soils.
Hairy vetch may be sown in autumn,
from about the middle of August to the
middle of September, or in spring, from
the latter part of April to the middle of
May. 1t should be sown broadcast or
with grain drill at the rate of l to
u bushels of seed per acre. The latter
method will require less amount of
seed. When the seed is put in broad
cast bushel of rye, oats or wheat
should be sown at the same time, SO as
to furnish support to keep the vines
up off the ground. If it is sown in drills
in the latter part of August, the crop
should be cultivated several times. 1t
will furnish some forage in autumn,
and where the winter is not too severe
will start.to grow again in the spring,
thus producing forage i'll late autumn
and early spring at two periods when it
is most needed. The seeds terminate
poorly when they are moro than 2 years
old. Most Of the seed used in this coun-
try is imported from Europe and is as
yet expensive.
Spring vetches seem to be adapted
more particularly to northern countries,
where the season is short and the rain
fall abundant. The seed should be sown
at the rate of five to eight pecks per
acre, with bushel of rye or oats as a
nurse crop.
Spring yetches should be sown in
April or May. They will be ready to
cut by the middle of June or the LIST of
July, from full bloom until the pods
are half formed. The spring vetch is
trailing vine, which alone would lodge
and make dense mat.