Book VI. THE TARE. 773 



pounds more of flour than a bushel of oats, and a bushel of pease eighteen pounds more, 

 or, according to some, twenty pounds. A thousand parts of bean flour were found, by 

 Sir H. Davy, to yield 570 parts of nutritive matter, of which 426 were mucilage or 

 starch, 103 gluten, and 41 extract, or matter rendered insoluble during the process. 



4794. The diseases of beans are, the rust, the honey-dew, mildew, and black fly or 

 aphides. These diseases are brought on by very dry weather ; the fly almost always 

 succeeds the honey-dew ; both are most prevalent on the summits of the plants, and 

 some have attempted to mitigate the evil by cutting them off. In general, however, 

 these diseases are without remedy, either preventive or positive. In extreme cases they 

 destroy both the leaves, stalks, and fruit ; and when this is foreseen, the best thing the 

 farmer can do is to mow them or plough them down, and prepare the land for wheat o 

 otherwise, according to the rotation. 



Sect. III. The Tare. Viciasativa, L. Diadel. Decan. L. and Leguminosea?, J. 

 Vesce, Fr. ; Wicke, Ger. ; and Loglio, Ital. 



4795. The tare, vetch, or fitch (Vicia sativa,fig. 564.), has been cultivated for its stem 

 and leaves from time immemorial. It is considered as a 564 



native plant, and is found wild also in China and Japan. 

 Ray, in 1686, informs us that the common tare or vetch, 

 was then sown almost all over Europe ; that it was chiefly 

 used in England, mixed with pease and oats, to feed horses ; 

 but that it was sometimes sown separately for soiling 

 cattle, and was reputed to cause milch cows to yield much 

 milk. The tare. Brown observes, is of hardy growth, and, 

 when sown upon rich land, will return a large supply of 

 green fodder for the consumption of horses, or for fatten- 

 ing cattle. 



4796. The varieties of tares are chiefly two, the winter 

 and spring tare ; both have local names, as gore vetch, 

 rath ripe vetch, &c. Some consider them as distinct species, 

 but this is doubtful. As the result of an experiment 

 tried for two years at Bury, in Suffolk, Professor Mar- 

 tyn observes, that there appears a material difference in the 

 constitution, if we may so call it, of the two tares in ques- 

 tion. Not to say any thing of a trifling difference in the 

 color and size of their seeds, the only visible marks of distinction seems to be a disparity 

 in the first leaves of the upright stalks, which, in the spring tare, are elliptic and rounded 

 or notched at the end ; but in the winter tare, linear and drawn to a point. The leaves 

 on the branches which afterwards issue below, and in time form the bulk of the plants, 

 are the same in both vetches. But whatever the difference may be, it is evident that the 

 seeds of the two sorts ought to be kept separate, since each sown out of its j^roper season 

 is found not to prosper. ' 



4797. Neio varieties of tare may be obtained by the usual means ; and it is thought 

 that some of the numerous species of this plant, which are natives of Europe, might be 

 cultivated with advantage. The vicia narbonnensis and seratifolia are cultivated in Ger- 

 many. Dr. Anderson has recommended the V. sepium ; and a writer in The Bath 

 Agricultural Transactions, the V. cracca. Some species of lathyrus, orobus, and ervura, 

 might probably also be tried with success. 



47 98. In choosing between the spring and winter tare, every thing must depend on the 

 intention of the crop. If the object is to have early feed, the winter variety is un- 

 doubtedly to be preferred ; but where the land is foul and requires to be two or three 

 times ploughed in spring, or where a late crop is desired, or a crop for seed, then the 

 spring variety will generally deserve the preference. 



4799. The soil preferred by the tare is a clay, but they will grow in any rich soil not 

 over dry. In a moist climate, the haulm grows so luxuriant as to rot at bottom ; and 

 in one over dry it is deficient in length. A dry season, however, is on the whole 

 More favorable than a moist one, as this crop soon covers the surface. 



4800. The preparation of the soil seldom consists of more than one ploughing, if for 

 autumn sowing ; and of a winter and spring ploughing, when to be sown in spring. 

 If in the latter case, the land is very foul, several ploughings are given, or one plough- 

 ing and several stirrings with the cultivator. In general, tares succeed some of the 

 corn crops. In England manure is sometimes given either with a view to eating them 

 off early, and following with a crop of turnips, or to the enriching the soil for a crop of 

 Vrheat. 



4801. The time of sowing depends on the kind of tare, and the purpose in view. The 

 winter variety is sown in September and October ; and the first sowing in spring ought 

 to be as early as the season will permit. If fhey are to be cut gfeen for soiling througli- 



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