The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-09-11
RYE AND HAIRY vETCH.

put aneaQ or rye ana marry V0tch.
One is a ravenous feeder in the
sense of drawing from the land, but
fortunately it leaves a great deal of
stubble and roots in the soil and
grows in winter when the land would
be losing by teaching and washing
away. I refer to the rye crop. Both
of the losses referred to are very
effectually checked by the heavy
growth of rye. 1t is really an ex-
haustive crop unless turned under,
but we must bear in mind that if the
cattle Craze on it there will be alarge
quantity of manure dropped on the
land and the exhaustion will be COM
pensated for by this addition.
OF course the vetch is a fine reno
vator, and in no sense of the word
could it be called exhaustive
The beauty about growing the two
together is that they both grow in
winter, and although III is exhaus-
tive the other will make up for the
loss. The vetch fails to grow in
some places because the soil is not
inoculated with the bacteria that
grow on the roots of vetch, as they
are different from those growing on
the pea roots or those in sofa beans.
It might be added by way of sug-
gestion that these nodules or little
potato-like enlargements OF the roots
of the peas, beans, vetch, ETC., will
come after two or three years grow
ing of the crops, especially if the
land is MANFRED but the easiest way.
to get them, is to inoculate the seed.
And this is an easy process. Get
some of the soil from a field that has
grown the vetch, say a gallon or so,
and mix with the seed, wet them, or
let the mixture stand in water for
awhile. The bacteria from the soil
get on the seed and thus a new col
ony of bacteria is started in their
new field of labor. No one need get
frightened in introducing these bac-
terra On their farm in this way, as
they are the ~benefcent kind, and r
| our friends, as they help the vetch
to grow,
In other words the legumes grow
better with the bacteria attached to
the roots than when they are absent.
This being the case, we should try
to get them to colonize on our farms
as quickly as possible. These little
creatures are the great nitrogen
gatherers, and the reason why this
class of plants restores poor land so
quickly is because the bacteria get
as much nitrogen out of the air over
poor land as over rich land.
1 see that I am DEPRESSING, but
must be pardoned on the ground that
l came across one of my hobbies"
and am rather fond of horseback
riding.
We started out to discuss these two
crops as a winter pasture. Hardly
anyone will question the S of rye,
as that crop has been rather extern
sively grown already, and too many
have had the flow of milk of the herd
increased, and the color of the but
ter turned to a beautiful yellow, to.
doubt it's good effects.
But the hairy vetch is a compare
lively new crop. It is as the name
indicates, a vetch, and the leaves
have a hairy appearance. It some
what resembles a wild vetch that we
have here that is quite useful as a
renovator. The hairy vetch is most
excellent for cattle, green or cured,
and anyone can be sure that-the
COWS will eat it greedily. The seeds
can be bought of most any seedsmen,
but unfortunately for those who wish
to buy this year, they will find them
nearly twice in price what they we're
last season
would advfs8 sowing in Septeml-
Der and October, and not later than
the 1st of November. The month of
September, if seasonable, is the best
time. Some SOW the rye and vef6h
in the latter part of August, but
when sowed SO early the seed are
liable to be destroyed.
Break the land thoroughly with a
tHe-horse pillow, cut up fine with a
cuta#ay or a disc harrow. Sow the
seed ne&6, and cover With a smooth
harrow. Sow one hushef Of vetch