VETCH (OF. ceche. resse, reset, Fr. resce, from Lat. -richt, vetch; connected with Gk. pociov, bikion, vetch. Lat. vinc-irc, to bind). A name properly applied to the genus Vicia, but also loosely related to other genera of the natural order Leguminosa'. There arc numerous species, mostly climbing annual, biennial, and perennial herbs, natives of Europe. Northern Africa, West ern Asia. and America. Their cultivation for seed and for forage dates back to the Romans. At the present time they are cultivated to a con siderable extent in Europe and certain species are gaining favor in the United States. The crop can be grown on a wide variety of soils, but heavy well-tilled soils produce the best yields. They are generally grown with a cereal crop which serves as a support and keeps them off the ground. The annual species most commonly cultivated in Europe is the common or spring vetch or tare (Fidel sal ira ). In the United States this species, which is very susceptible to dry and hot weather, has not given general satis faction. One of the best species introduced in to the United States is the hairy vetch ( Vicia rillosa), an annual which has been successfully grown in various sections of the country. Hairy vetch is sown in August and September when in tended for winter forage, and in regions where the winter is not too severe it will grow again in the spring and produce a very early crop. For summer forage it is sown from the middle of April to the middle of May. The yield of hay
varies from 2 to 4 tons per acre. See Plate of UsEFul. Lt:um'AtE8 with article LEoywIINOS.E.
Some of the most important species not be longing to the genus Vicia are kidney vetch, or horned pod clover (.1n thyllis ruby-on-in), winter vetch ( La thyrus irsut us), and Dakota vetch I osarkia Parshiana ) • Kidney vetch is a per ennial found wild in Europe on dry. thin soils with calcareous subsoil. Its cultivation originat ed in Germany about 40 years ago. The yield cf hay is usually quite small. Winter retch is a valuable species in southern latitudes, where it furnishes forage late in autumn and early in spring. In the United States it is not hardy north of the latitude of 40'. Dakota vetch is a common bushy annual, native to the Rocky _Mountain region of the Northwest, affording pasturage and hay in its wild state. Both green and cured vetches are fed to farm animals. Un cured spring vetch cut in bloom and seed has the following average per cent, composition: Water, 83.9; protein, 4.0: fat, 0.6; nitrogen-free extract, 6.3; crude fibre. 3.2: and ash, 2.0. Hairy Vetch: Water, 68.7; protein, 5.2; fat, 1.3; nitrogen-free extract. 14.7; crude fibre, 7.7: and ash. 2.4, Vetch hay contains: Water, 11.3; protein, 17.0; fat. 2.3; nitrogen-free extract, 36.1 ; crude fibre, 25.4; and ash, 7.9 per cent. Like other legumi nous crops, vetch is comparatively rich in pro tein.