Charlevoix county herald., 1914-09-19

The writer prepared this article on
Winter Vetch in order to disseminate
accurate information to the people of
this district. All of us realize that we
must maintain our soil fertility in
order to be successful farmers, and
grow crops profitably, and, this plant
is one of the greatest soil renovators
known.
1t is also sometimes referred to as
Sand Vetch and Russian Vetch. Only
very few are acquainted with vetch
though a number of farmers in
southern Michigan have grown it
continuously for ten or more years.
| Much Of the state is too far north to
| grow cow peas and soy beans the
most successfully and it is therefore
badly in need of more hardy legu-
minous cover crop. Rye is quite gen
orally used as a winter cover and
| plowed under for green manure the
following spring; but rye is not le-
gume and can not add nitrogen to
the soil. Vetch, when plowed under,
will add from twenty-five to one hun
dred pounds of nitrogen per acre,
which, as commercial fertilizer, would
| -
! This does not include the nitrogen
stored by the roots which will easily
! double these figures. One ton of vetch
hay contains approximately one-third
more nitrogen than ton of alfalfa
and one-fourth more than a ton of
COW peas. Yields of from three to
five tons are quite common. On the
average, Hairy Vetch with rye, should
! L. l,n
! spring, green manure in amount equi-
valent to two tons of cured hay per
acre It's ability as a soil improver
is well supported by the practical eX-
perience Of farmers in all parts of the
state.
Climatic and Soil Requirements.
This plant will grow well in a
drained soil, but will not thrive on a
poorly drained field. 1t does best in
loans or sandy loans. though excel
lent crops are grown both on sandy
and gravelly soils On poor land.
vetch is often used as a soil improver,
and, while the yield may not be large,
it is often good farm practice to grow
it. On poor soils special care should
be taken to provide thorough inocula-
ton, as without it, failures commonly
result. The seed bed should be quite
fine and firm. This plant is markedly
drought resistent, often making q
good crop during extremely dry
weather 1t is quite resistant to
alkali and will terminate well in soils
too alkaline for most legumes.
Time of Sowing.
Vetches are sown in northern lati-
tudes from the middle of July until
August 20, and at the rate of about
twenty to thirty pounds of seed pen
acre. AS this plant is a creeper OF
runs on the ground, it is usually sowr
with rye as a nurse crop, using one
to one-half bushels of rye per acre
incubation.
incubation of the soil when Hairy
Vetch is planted for the first time is q
matter of prime Importance, as fail
ures due to lack of the proper germs
in the soil are common experience.
The surest way is to bring soil from
an old vetch field, and scatter over
the field at the rate of 300 pounds to
the acre and Immediately harrow it
into the ground. When soil is not
available, the artificial cultures may
De uSeu, Out III LnlS event Oilly d SiIidli
field should be planted when starting.
Uses of the Crop.
Hairy vetch is adapted TO nearly as
wide range of uses as Red Glover,
and in regions where Red Clover for
any reasons does not succeed, it is a
good substitute. 1t makes excellent
hay, though it is rather difficult to
NOV.
1t. furnishes good pasturage and
may be grazed in the early spring
without materially reducing the hay
crop. 1t makes an excellent green
manure crop in the sandy soils.
Where once established it is in
clined to persist more or less from
year to year as weed. This is not
serious matter, except in wheat
growing sections, as vetch seed is
separated from wheat with difficulty.
It is therefore seldom advisable to
grow this crop where wheat is pro-
duced.
Sow in Corn.
The mellow condition Of the soil
makes sowing in the standing corn at