392 v Cultivation of Arable Land. Tares After-management of. 



In SufTex tares are of fuch infinite importance that not one-tenth of the flock 

 could be maintained without them : horfes, cows, fheep, hogs, all feed upon 

 then. The lafl fort of animals are foiled upon them without any other food. 

 This plant maintains more flock than any other plant whatfoever. Upon one 

 acre Mr. Davies can maintain four hprfes in much better condition than upon 

 five acres of grafs. Upon eigh/ icres he has kept^twelve horfes and five cows for 

 three months without any other food : no artificial food whatever is equal to this 

 excellent plant. They find this crop to be a hearty and moft nou riming food for 

 all forts of cattle. Cows give more butter when fed .with this plant than with 

 any other food whatfoever. 



By one crop of vetches fucceeding another, Mr. Halftead, in the fame diflri&amp;lt;5l, 

 infures a crop the whole fummer of the befl food that can be given to cattle ; after 

 this he fows turnips, then wheat.* 



Where large (locks of fheep are kept, tares are exceedingly ufeful ; for they 

 come in at a time when rye and turnip crops are eaten off, and before the clovers 

 and other graffes are in fufficientforwardnefs for being turned upon, and afford a 

 feafonable fupply of food for ew:s and lambs. It is recommended to wait till the 

 tares have gained a fufficicnt increafe of flem before the fheep are turned in, and 

 then to divide the ground by hurdles, in the fame manner as is practifed above. 

 By this means there will be little wafte, and the ground be enriched in a much 

 higher degree than if the flock had been fuffered to ramble over the whole crop.-j- 



As from the great clofenefs and (hade which is produced in thefe crops the land 

 becomes much improved and rendered more clean and mellow, fuch plants mould 

 conflantly be cultivated wherever the foils and fituations will admit, efpecially if 

 the keeping of much live flock be the object. In cold expofed fituations, where 

 vegetation is late in the fpring months, they are notfo proper : it may foretimes un 

 der fuch circumftances be more advifable to raife clover crops, as it will not be fo 

 much later as to render it much lefs valuable, and at the fame time the more cer 

 tain.:}: 



Tare crops form an excellent preparation for wheat in all the more flrong and 

 heavy forts of foil, and for both grain and turnips in thofe of the light kinds : but 

 as they have much effec~l in rendering the lands on which they grow more light, 

 open, and porous, they may fometimes, in the latter cafe, bring it into too loofe a 



* Annals of Agriculture, vol. XXII. t Synopfis of Hufbandry. J Modern Agriculture, vol. II. 



