Ch. XXIV.] ON TARES. 301 



common tare is an annual plant, indigenous to our climate, and extremely 

 hardy. There are, however, many varieties which are perennial : the winter 

 kind — which is sown early in the autumn — supports the severest frost, 

 and being one of the first and most productive grasses in the spring, is the 

 sort most generally grown ; but requires a strong and rather rich soil. 

 Both species may however be said "to suit every situation, and to flourish 

 in all the variety of soils in this country *." 



Winter Tares are sown either as a bastard fallow prior to wheat, or upon 

 a wheat stubble, with the intention of being either soiled and followed in 

 the ensuing summer by turnips, or left to stand for a crop of hay, or seed. 

 In the former case, the dung is laid upon the land previous to the sowing 

 of the tares ; but in the latter, it is not put into the ground until the sowing 

 of the turnips, which are sown upon one ploughing, while the soil is in a 

 moist state, immediately after the tares are fed off. They are usually sown 

 broad-cast, when meant to be soiled, and most commonly upon one plough- 

 ing; though the land ought to be in clean condition, and it is unquestion- 

 ably wrong to grow them when it is in any other state. The time of seeding 

 is from the middle of iVugust till the latter end of October ; but if the land 

 be poor, or the situation exposed, the earlier the better ; and, in all cases it 

 is advisable to sow at different periods — early, medium, and late, about a 

 month between each — in order to secure a succession of feed at different 

 seasons. The seed is never steeped, though perhaps, in very dry seasons, 

 the precaution might not be unadvisable. 



The quantity of seed, on ordinary soils, is about 2\ bushels per acre ; 

 but those which are moderately rich, and early sown, require rather less 

 seed than those which are poor and late. Along with the seed it is also 

 customary to sow a small portion of rye, oats, or winter barley; which, 

 coming forward equally early, add greatly to the burden of the green 

 forage. Winter beans are also sometimes sown for the purpose of support- 

 ing the tares, and preventing them from lodging on the ground. 



Spring Tares may be sown at any time during the months of March and 

 April ; tliey are, indeed, sown in succession even so late as the end of June, 

 and are not unfrequently made to follow a crop of winter tares. On the 

 South Do\vns,'^for instance, " it is a conniion practice to sow forward win- 

 ter «tares, which are fed off late in the spring with ewes and lambs ; they 

 then plow and sow summer ^tares and rape — 2^ bushels of tares and ^ a 

 gallon of rape — and this they feed oft" with their lambs in time to plough 

 once for wheat f." This, when a summer fallow can be dispensed with, 

 certainly turns the land to good account ; for it is made to support the 

 utmost possible number of sheep which can be maintained upon such soils, 

 while the stock yields an ample supply of manure, and their treading puts 

 it into a state of sufficient firmness for the reception of the wheat. 



When sufficient time is allowed for the preparation of the land, by early 

 spring sowing, it should if possible be ploughed before winter ; then cross- 

 ploughed, well harrowed, and again ploughed for the reception of the seed ; 

 which, in short, should not be put into the ground until it is in a state of 

 perfect cleanness : it is afterwards rolled, and treated in every respect like 

 clover. Spring tares produce rather a lighter crop than those grown in 

 winter, and as they come into use a full fortnight later, they are more sub- 

 ject to risk from a dry summer ; there is, however, no difference in their 

 application, or value per ton. 



When sown for seed, both species should be drilled and managed in the 



* Middlesex Rep., 2nd edit., p. 253. 

 f Sussex Kep.; p. 105, 



