A Cover Crop Program for Florida Pecan Orchards 7

winter legumes and oats and rye as the best winter non-legumes
for Florida conditions (1).
 Augusta vetch, Vicia angustifolia, gives promise as a winter
legume (although it was not used in the cover crop experiment)
since it has reseeded for a number of years in small areas in
an orchard at Starke and another at Baldwin and along the
streets and highways in and around Tallahassee. It has been
noted also growing in small patches at Monticello, Quincy, and
Marianna. Doubtless it could be found in other locations in
northwest Florida. A few scattering plants were grown suc-
cessfully over a small area in the pecan variety orchard at
Gainesville in 1934-1935. It will not give very satisfactory
results, however, if there is not a quantity of organic material
in or on the surface of the soil, and if the soil is not of good
type. In neglected orchards in which livestock is being run, it
should prove of considerable value because it seems to have ex-
cellent qualities as a grazing legume. Seed of Augusta vetch
has been difficult to obtain in past years, but it is hoped that
in the near future it will be available at Florida seed houses.
 Winter legumes require inoculation when planted on lands
where they have not been previously grown. This inoculation
can be made with commercial cultures which may be secured
from seed houses, or soil can be used from nearby land on which
vetch and peas have been successfully grown for several years.
Soil used for inoculating purposes should be spread by evenly
distributing a very thin layer over the new field at the time
the seed are planted. Commercial materials carry directions
printed on the package. In the Jefferson County experiment
discussed in this bulletin, good results were obtained by inocu-
lating seed with a commercial product at the time of planting.

 SCOPE OF EXPERIMENT
 This experiment was started in 1927 to determine the effects
 of cover crops and fertilizers on the growth and yield of pecans.
 Information was desired also on the value of different soiling
 crops, such as: The growing of legumes in winter and summer
 versus combinations of non-legumes in winter and legumes in
 summer; the effects of applications of nitrogenous fertilizers on
 the trees if legumes were grown. Consequently winter legumes
 and non-legumes were grown and followed by summer legumes
 in the different plots, and an area was left unplanted as a check.
 This was fertilized the same as the planted plots. Sulfate of