The Yale expositor., 1912-09-05
Winter Vetch for a Cover
Crop in Michigan
Orchards.
By II. J. EUsTAcE. Hor.ieulturi.,.
Michigan Agricultural College

Most of the successful orchards in
Michigan are plowed in the spring
and cultivated until midsummer. This
season is the natural one for trees to
make growth of new wood and the
blowing and cultivating make the
plant food in the soil available and
stimulate the growth After the cul-
tivation ceases, the new growth will
ripen, become hard and in a condition
to pass through the average winter
without injury, which it could not do
If growth continued late In the fall
AT the last cultivation, it Is desir-
able to SOW something that will make
a cover crop" on the land during the
fall winter, and early part Of the
spring. If nothing is sown, weeds will
make a cover" but they will not
make uniform growth nor will they
result in any benefit to the land and
they may become a serious annoy
ance.
Many desirable features will result
from having cover crop in an or
chard or vineyard, some of the more
| important 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 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.
4. The cover crop itself will make
blanket over the soil and by holding
the snow from blowing away, this fea-
ture will be more effective, as 1t will
largely prevent deep and severe freez-
ing of the roots and the alternate
freezing and thawing. all Of which
causes serious losses in many Michi-
gan orchards. especially those located
upon the lighter and more porous
soils.
5. One of the most valuable re-
suits from the use OF cover crops is
chat 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, stor-
ing 1t in the plants and later 1t be-
comes available 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
comfortable 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 sum-
mer and fall; it must be able to stand
the tramping necessary at picking
time; 1t must be able to withstand a
possible drought; in most cases in
Michigan, it must live over winter
and grow vigorously in the spring; il
must be hardy and it 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 a cover
crop under Michigan conditions. At
this time, winter vetch (Vicia villosa)
promises to be especially valuable for
this purpose. The plant is sometimes
called Hairy or Sand Vetch. 1t was
imported from Europe many years ago
and has long been used in the south
ern states especially rs forage crop.
An appreciation of its value FOR or
chard cover crop purposes is compare
lively recent.
When sown as late as the middle OF
August, il makes a fair growth before
winter. it will stand tramping well; it
is not difficult to get started; 1t is
hardy and will withstand the possible
drought Of fall and cold of winter; it
grows vigorously, in the early spring;
it adds a large amount of nitrogen to
the soil; it will succeed on variety
Of soils and especially on sandy soil.
For cover crop purposes in Michi-
gan, the seed should be sown during
July or early August, usually at the
sine of the last narrowing.
II the seed is sown broadcast about
25 to 80 pounds to the acre is required
and it should be narrowed in. Good
results have been secured by drilling
18 pounds Of seed per acre.
A quick growth or catch crop" can
be secured by sowing bushel of oats
or rye with the vetch. Since the vetch
does not make large growth In the
fall this combination is often desir-
able.
There will not be any difficulty In
turning under the vetch II the or
chards are plowed at the proper time
in the spring. Where the growth rs
extra large. a chain or rolling coulter
L.. L. L.. a.