The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1907-11-30
SOUTHERN
AGRICULTURE
SOW HAIRY vETcH NOW.
Prof. Duegar Gives Directions How to
Succeed With Crop.


turage from February to May, and for
soil improvement. 1t Is an annual
plant, coming up from seed early each
fall. A vetch plant has numerous
vine-like stems, usually three to five
feet long.
The vines are too slender and weak
TO stand alone, SO that when intended
for hay vetch should be sown with
oats or wheat. Sow broadcast per
acre 20 to 40 pounds Of vetch seed
with the usual amount of either oats
or beardless wheat.
Sow vetch and any grain that is
to be sown with it broadcast up to
October 30th. 1t Is best to plow and
harrow the land before sowing the
seed. Cover seed of vetch and grain
two to three inches deep.
vetch thrives on a great variety
Of sandy, clayey and lime soils. in
Guiding the poorest which 1t greatly
enriches. Land for vetch need not
he free from weeds and trash. Seed
can be sown among the growing cot
ton plants without breaking the land.
Two to four hundred pounds of acid
phosphate or guano per acre is usual
ly advisable. If the soil is very acid,
six to eight barrels Of lime per acre.
irst Stacked, will be useful.
1. Vetch serves the same uses and
makes about the same yield OF hay
and the same improvement in the
land as crimson clover.
2. Hairy vetch Is harder, being
less apt to be killed by very dry
weather as soon as 1t terminates, or
by cold In winter.
g. Hairy vetch requires more seed
Cat least 40 pounds per acre for
perfect stand alone). and greater ex-
pense for tnick seeding.
4. Hairy vetch, unlike crimson
clover. can be made to re-seed the
land, making it possible to begin
wi:h only a few pounds OF seed per
acre and at slight cost.
1. Hay of a mixture of hairy vetch
and beardless wheat can be cut just
as the vetch begins to bloom In
April. After this early cutting there
will be sufficient growth of vetch to
re-seed the land.
2. Or a mixture of red rust-prooi
oats and hairy vetch can be cut fol
hay May 1st to May 18th, leaving a
long stubble, with little chance fol
the vetch to re-seed the land.
8. Or q mixture of turf oats and
vetch can be cut for grain (rips
oats and vetch seed), June 9Th tt
10th, by which time enough rip'
vetch seed will have scattered to re
seed the land.
4. Or a mixture of hairy vetci
!, and red rust-proof oats can be Gu
for grain when overripe and par
, TALLY sheltered early in June. thu
I re-seeding the land.
I vetch seed falling on the groun'
In May or June remain sound ant
. comes up in August or Septembe
r without any need to pillow the land
: Meantime a summer crop of drille'
r or broadcast cowpeas, sorghum. lat
q corn, ETC.. can be grown.
4 II vetch is grazed, the stock SHOULD
u be removed by April goth to permi
re-seeding. All summer crops grow
+ after a good stand of vetch are wei
y fortified by the nitrogen in the veto
n vines and stubble. The vetch plan
and vetch stubble are about as va
= liable as fertilizer as are the cowpe
o plant and cowpea stubble.
r vetch affords exceedingly muir
g tious grazing, and hay that ha
, proved equal pound for pound
: wheat bran and little better tina
= cowpea hay.
O. Seed of hairy vetch usually COZ
y s to 10 cents per pound, and are fc
sale by all seedsmen.
An inexpensive start with veto
grown the first year solely for r.
"A seeding can be made as follows:
/. On every terrace in cotton an
corn fields, plant vetch seed in hill
about three feet apart; when II
pods ripen in May they burst an
throw the seed for several yards 9
y. each side of the terrace.
"a 2. Or, after sowing oats. wheat I
=. rye, as usual, drop several veto
seeds in hills three feet apart; pc
se NIT vetch to ripen seed as directed.
W. This consists In adding certa
germs which cause enlargement
IA (nodules) to form on the roots
.r. vetch plants. These nodules SER
IT, as fertilizer factories. changing Il
IS useless nitrogen of the afr into
form of nitrogen worth at least
m, cents per pound as fertilizer. Mu'
the surest way to inoculase vetch
to SOW with the seed as much 81
ut as possible from field where !
lis Gently either any kind Of vetch
wv garden peas English peas. not co