V 



ijft 



'ovatisacutis,tlipulis integris. Lin. Sp. Plane. 7.^5. ^elcb 



rj;ithfcDt'ftalks hd^ji>ig about /is fioivcrs, haves rcitb ten 



cval md€ lobes, and entire JlipuU. Vicu multitlora 



CafTubica frutefcens, filiqua lencis. Brcyn. Prod. 52. 



Many-flc-jceredj}:yiibby Vetch of CaiJubUi, witka Lentil pod. 



4. ViciA (Biennis) pedunculis muUifloris, petiolis lul- 

 catis, fub-dodecaphyllis, foliolis lanccolatis glabns. 

 Lin. Sp. Plant. 736. Many-flowered Vetch with furrowed 

 foGt-ftalks, and for the mcfl part twelve fpcar-fl^mped 



fmooth lobes to each leaf, 



5. ViciA {Sativa) Icguminibus fcfTilibus fubbmatis erec- 

 tis foliis retufis, ftipulis notatis. Lin. Sp. Plant. 736. 

 Vetch with ercEl pods growing hy pain^ and fitting clofe 

 to the ftalks, blunt lobes to the leaves, and fpotted flipu- 

 U. Vicia fativa vulgaris fcmine nigro. C. B. P. 344- 

 Common cultivated Vetch with a black feed, frequently 



called Tares. 



There are many more fpecies of this genus than are 

 here enumerated, fome of which grow naturally in 

 England, but as they are rarely cultivated, except in 

 botanic gardens for the fake of variety, they are 

 omitted, as they are plants of little ufe or beauty. 

 The firft fort here mentioned grows naturally among 

 buflies, and by the fides of woods in mod parts of 

 England. The root is perennial, but the ftalks are 

 annual j thefe are weak, requiring fupport ; they rife 

 five or fix feet high, fattening their tendrils, which 

 grow at the end of their leaves, to the bulhes or hedges, 

 whereby they climb ; they are hairy, as are alfo the 

 leaves, which are ccmpofed of about ten pair of 

 fpear-ftiaped lobes terminated by a tendril. The 

 flowers fland Upon long foot-ftalks which fpringfrom 

 the wings pf the italk ; the fpikes are long ; the flow- 

 'ers lie one over the other ; they are of a fine blue co- 

 lour, fo make a pretty appearance when they come 

 put from between the bufhes or {hrubs which fupport 

 them ; they appear in July, and are fucceeded ^y 

 combrefled pods filled with round feeds, which ripen 



> ' - 





in autumn; , . 



The fecbnd fort grows naturally in tb^ wpQ^s nipar 



Bath and Briftol J this hath a perennial root. /The 



■'ftalks are weak, and climb by the help of their ten- 



..drils over the neighbogringbu(bes and hedges, rifing 



r.;«o the Jieight of feven or eight fe^.- The leaves are 



' rnmnofed of feven or eiffht oair of oval fmooth lobes. 



July 



Le 



tils, including three or four round feeds which ripen 



in autumn- 



^ ■- 



been 



fields for fodder for cattle, but as their ftalks are Ren- 

 der, and lefs fucculent than thofe of the common 

 Vetch, fo it is doubtful if thefe will anfwer the^putr 



T>0f( 



terminated by tendrils." The flowprs are _ 

 long fpikes from the wings of the ftalks •, they are of 

 a pale blue colour, and are larger than thofe of the 

 former fort j they appear in July, and are fucceeded 



by fhort fmooth pods, filled with round feeds v/hich 



ripen in autumn. . . i 



The third fort grows naturally in Caffubia ; this has 

 a ligneous creeping root -, the ftalks trail upon the 

 ground -, they grow three feet long, and their lower 

 part become mpre ligneous toward autuinn, but they 



! die to the rpot in winter. ". The leaves are com pofed 



' often pair of oval acute-pointed lobes. The flowers 



come out from the wings of the ftalk ; they are dif- 



, pofed in Ihort fpikes, each containing, for the moft 



up upon tb.eir branches, they will have a good efil-d 

 during their continuance in Hower. 

 Theic Torts are propagated by feeds, which fhould be 

 fown in autumn foon attcr they are ripe, for if they 

 arc kept out of the ground till fpring, the feeds often 

 fail, or at leaft remain in the ground a year before 

 they vegetate •, they Ihould be fown in the places 

 where the plants are defigned to remain, for tht/y da 

 not bear tranfplanting well. Thefe plants grow n:i- 

 turally in woods and thickets of bullies, whore their 

 roots are fcreened from the fun, and their (talks tlir- 

 niflied with fupports by the bufhes, point out the 

 places where the feeds fhould be fown, which flioulJ 

 be where they are flieltered by fhrubs. If three or 

 four feeds are fown on each patch, it will be fufficienr, 

 for if one or two plants come up in each place it will 

 be enough. When the plants come up, they will re- 

 quire no other culture but to keep them clean from 

 weeds, and their ftaJks muft be permitted to climb 

 upon the neighbouring ftirubs ; for if they trail upori 

 the ground, they will produce few flowers, and in 

 wet feafons the ftalks will ror, fo the plants will be ra- 

 ther unfightly. 



The fourth fort grows naturally in Siberia; this is a 

 biennial plant, which promifes fairly to become a ufe- 

 ful one for fodder •, for the ftalks of this grow to a 

 great length, and are well furnifhed with leaves. 

 Thefe do not decay in autumn, but continue green 

 through the winters in defiance of the moft fevcre 



_b that in February and March, when there is 

 often a fcarcity of green feed for eweS and Iambs, 

 this may be of great fervice. 

 The ftalks of this rife five or fix 



feet 



high. 



The 



leaves are compofed of five or fix pair of fmooth 

 fpear-fhaped lobes, terrninated by tendrils. The foot- 

 ftalks are deeply furrowed. Thf flowers are produced 

 in fpikesj^pon long foot-ftalks, which fpringfrom the 

 wings i^f^l^ ftalks ; they are of a light blue colour, 

 and appear in July ; thefe are fucceeded by fhort com- 

 ;prefled pods, containing three' or fpur round feeds 



which ripen in autumn. '■ , . ^ ; .? 



This fort is propagated by feeds, which may Se fbwii 

 in the .fpring or autumn ; and when the plants come 

 up, they will require ^p. other culture but to keep 

 . them clean fmfn w?pc3s ; and if they are fupportcd 

 ;from trailing upon the ground, they will continue in 

 verdure all the winter, and the following lummer 

 they wiU flower and produce ripe feeds. 

 If this plant is defigned for feed, the feeds ftlould be 

 fown in rows at four feet diftance, and fliould be 

 dropped thin in the rows-, for as the ftalks fend out 

 many branches, and extend to a great length, fo when 

 the plants are too clofe, the branches will intermix, 

 and mat fo clofely together, as to roc each other by 

 excluding the air. When the plants come up, they 

 muft be kept clean from weeds, which, while they are 

 young, Ihould be performed with Dutch hoes, but 

 afterward it may be done by the hoeing plough, which 

 will fave expence, and with this inftrument the plants 

 may be earthed up in the fame manner as Peas and 

 Beans, which will greatly ftrengthen their ftalks, and 

 ntake them and the leaves larger and more fucculent. 



fo increafe the quantity of feed. 



pradlifed 



as often as may bp found neccflTary to dcftroy the 

 weeds iji fummer, it will prepare the ground for any 

 crop which may afterward be put upon the land; and 

 as this will be 

 it fl:iould be preferved tin the fpring, when there is a 

 want of green feed for ewes, at which time it may be 



trail to a great length, fo if they have not fupport, j cut as it is wanted ; but a part of the plants fliould be 

 ihey will be fubjeft to rot by lying upon the ground j j permitted to ftand for feeds, for thofe which^are cut, 

 and although their roots are perennial, yet as it is late 

 in the fpring before they ftioot to a height fufficient to 

 cut for ufe, fo there is little want of green feed for 

 cattle at that time. . ^ 



Howev^r> a few. of thefe plants may be allowed a place 

 in large gardens for the fake of variety, where, if they 

 are properly placed, they may be ornamental, parti- 

 cularly oh the borders of wood- walks, or in thickets 



■ of Ihrubs* If fomc of the firft fort are allowed to climb 



flioot 



that unlefs the autumn proves very warm, the feeds 



will not ripen ; therefore it will be abetter way to few 



a fufBcient quantity of feeds for this purpofe in a fcpa- 



rate fpot of ground, becaufe, when the other is cut, the 



ground may be ploughed for other crops ; and if in 



mild feafons there may be fo great plenty of other green 



feed as not to want this, if the plants are ploughed into 



the ground, it will be a good drefling for other crops- 



The 



A 



