The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1911-08-11
WINTER vETCH AS A COVER
CROP.
II Has Special Value in Orchards
Whe o Cover-Crops Should A.
ways be Used-tiow to Grow

WdyB DO O8oO-TIOW 10 OTOw
II
Most of the successful orchards il
Michigan are plowed in the spring ant
cultivated until midsummer. Thi
season is the natural one for trees :,
make a growth of new wood and tn,
blowing and cultivating make the plant
food in the soil available and stimulates
the growth. After the cultivation
ceases the new growth will ripen. be
come hard, and be in q condition Il
pass through the average winter with
out injury, which it could not do II
growth continued late in the fall.
At the last cultivation, it is desirable
to SOW something that will make q
cover crop" on the land during the
fall, winter, and early part of the
spring. If nothing is sown, weeds will
make cover" but they will not make
uniform growth nor will they result
in any benefit to the land and they may
become serious annoyance.
Many desirable features will result
from having cover crop in an orchard
or vineyard. Some of the more i'm.
portant ones are:
1. Their growth helps to check the
tree growth and ripen the new wood.
2. A cover Of vegetable growth over
the soil, supplemented by the root sys-
tenn, will prevent, to a very large ex.
tent, the washing of the valuable top
soil by the heavy fall and spring rains
This feature is especially valuable on
knobs and hillsides.
3. A cover-crop will catch and hold
the leaves as they fall from the trees
They contain some fertility and afford
some protection.
A. The cover-crop itself will make a
blanket over the soil, and, by holding
the snow from blowing away, this
feature will be more effective, as it will
largely prevent deep and severe freez-
ing of the roots and the alternate freez
ing and thawing, all of which cause
serious losses in many Michigan or
chards, especially those located upon
the lighter and more porous soils.
S. One of the most valuable results
from the use of cover-crops is that they
add humus and plant food to the soil.
Certain plants commonly used for
cover crops, as clover, vetches, peas and
beans, possess the power of gathering
nitrogen from the air and storing it in
the plants, and later it becomes avail.
able in the soil.
Some of the advantages of the cover.
crop that might be mentioned are:
That they encourage the deep roofing
of trees; they make the fall and spring
operations in the orchard more COM
Portable. and they improve the physical
condition of the soil.
A plant suitable for an orchard or
vineyard ''cover-crop" must meet some
unusual demands. 1t must make at
least fair growth during late summer
and fall; it must be able to stand the
tramping necessary at picking time; it
must be able to Withstand q posi- BILE
drouth in most cases In Michigan, it
must live over winter and grow vigor-
ously in the spring; it must be hardy,
and should have the POWER to gather
nitrogen from the air and hold it in the
roots
The experiment station has been
carrying on tests in orchards and vine.
yards in different parts of the state to
determine the best plant for cover.
crop under Michigan conditions. At
this time winter vetch (Vicia villosa)
promises to be specially valuable for
this purpose. The plant is sometimes
called hairy or sand vetch. 1t was i'm
ported from Europe many years ago
and has long been used in the southern
states particularly as forage crop. An
appreciation of its value for orchard
cover crop purposes is comparatively
recent.
When sown as late as the middle of
August, it makes fair growth before
winter; it will stand tramping well; it
is not difficult to get started; it is hardy
and will Withstand the possible drought
of fall and cold of winter; it grows
vigorously in the early spring; it adds
large amount Of nitrogen to the soil;
it will succeed on variety of soils and
specially we'll on sandy soil.
Michigan fruit growers who have
never tried this plant for cover-crop
are urged to do 80. Seed should be
ordered at once, as practically all that
is used in this country is imported
from Europe and the supply is limited.
For cover-crop purposes in Michigan
the seed should be sown during July OF
early August, usually at the time Of
the last narrowing.
If the seed is sown broadcast about
twenty. to thirty pounds to the acre
is required, and it should be narrowed
in. Good results have been secured by
drilling eighteen pounds of seed pel