322 



LEGUMINOSyE. CLXIX. VICIA. 



85 V. CANADE'NSIS (Zucc. obs. bot. cent. 1. no. 83.) leaves 

 with 7 pairs of refuse vnucronate leaflets ; upper stipulas simple, 

 marked above, lower ones ciliately 4-toothed ; superior legumes 

 solitary, lower ones twin, and horizontal ; seeds globose, lenti- 

 form, yellowish. Q. H. Native of Canada. Flowers purple ? 



Canada Vetch. PI. cl. 



86 V. CORDA'TA (Wulf. ex Hoppe in Sturm, deutschl. fl. 1. 

 fasc. 32.) leaves cirrhiferous ; leaflets 10-12, oblong-obcordate, 

 mucronate ; stipulas semi-sagittately-toothed ; flowers usually 

 twin, sessile ; calyx cylindrical, with lanceolate-linear, nearly 

 equal, somewhat parallel segments, which are about the length of 

 the tube ; legumes oblong, rather torulose, puberulous ; seeds 

 globose, variegated. Q. H. Native of Germany. Flowers 

 purple. This plant comes very near V. saliva, but still it is very 

 distinct. 



CWafe-leafletted Vetch. Fl. June, July. Clt. 1816. PI. cl. 



87 V. DU'BIA (Schultes, obs. 149.) leaves with 6 pairs of 

 linear-truncate or linear-lanceolate, mucronate, ciliated leaflets ; 

 stipulas marked, profoundly toothed ; flowers usually twin ; calyx 

 striated, nerved, pubescent, with subulate teeth ; legumes gla- 

 brous, terete, erect ; seeds round, cream-coloured. O- H. Na- 

 tive country unknown. 



Doubtful Vetch. PI. cl. 



88 V. SATI'VA (Lin. spec. 1037.) leaves cirrhiferous: leaf- 

 lets 6-10, obovate, or elliptic-oblong, retuse, mucronulate, pi- 

 lose or smoothish ; stipulas semi-sagittately-toothed ; flowers 

 usually twin, sessile ; calyx cylindrical, with lanceolate-linear, 

 nearly equal parallel segments, which are about the length of the 

 tube ; style bearded at the apex ; legumes compressed, some- 

 what torulose, oblong, reticulated, ercctish ; seeds nearly glo- 

 bose, smooth, variable in colour. If.. H. Native of Europe, in 

 corn or cultivated fields; plentiful in Britain; also of North 

 America about Fort Vancouver. Flowers purple. This is a 

 very variable plant in the form of the leaflets, in the size of the 

 stems, and in the colour and size of the seeds. 



far. a, obotata (Ser. mss. in D. C. prod. 2. p. 361.) leaflets 

 obcordate, pilose ; legumes pubescent. V. saliva, Hoppe in 

 Sturm, deutschl. fl. 1. fasc. 31. with a figure. V. saliva nemora- 

 lis, Pers. ench. 2. p. 307. V. Helvetica, Hort. prag. ex Gerhard. 

 Flowers reddish purple. 



Var. ft, segclalis (Ser. 1. c.) leaflels oblong, truncate, pointed, 

 pilose; legumes pubescent. Q. H. V. segetalis, Thuil. fl. 

 par. ed. 2. p. 367. el Hoppe in Slurm. 1. c. with a figure. V. 

 sativa, Smith, engl. bot. 334. Oed. fl. dan. t. 522. Mart. fl. rust. 

 116. V. Luganensis, Schleich. in herb. Balb. Flowers reddish 

 purple. 



The tare, vetch or filch, is called in French vesce ; in German 

 tvicke ; and in Italian loglio. It has been cultivated for its stems 

 and leaves from time immemorial. 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 peas 

 and oats to feed horses, but that it was sometimes sown sepa- 

 rately 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 fattening 

 cattle. 



The varieties of the tare are chiefly two, the winter and spring- 

 tare ; both have local names, as gore-vetch, rath-ripc-vetch, &c. 

 Professor Martin observes, that there appears a material differ- 

 ence in the constitution of the two plants in question. Not to 

 say any thing of a trifling difference in the colour and size of 

 their seeds, the only visible mark 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 of 



the branches, which afterwards issue below, and in time form the 

 bulk of the plants, are the same in both the varieties. 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 proper season is found not to prosper. Numerous other 

 species of Vicia might be cultivated with advantage, as the V. 

 Narbonensis and V. serralifol/a, which are cultivated in Ger- 

 many. Dr. Anderson has recommended the V. sepium, and a 

 writer in the Bath Agricultural Transactions the V. crdcca. 



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 food, the winter variety is undoubtedly to be pre- 

 ferred ; 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. The soil preferred by the tare is clay ; but it will 

 grow in any rich soil, not over dry. In a moist climate, the 

 haulm grows so luxuriant as to rot at the bottom, and in one 

 over dry it is deficient of strength. A dry season is upon the 

 whole more favourable than a moist one, as the crop soon covers 

 the surface. 



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. In general tares 

 succeed some of the corn crops. In England, manure is some- 

 times given, either with a view to eating them off early, and fol- 

 lowing with a crop of turnips, or to the enriching the soil for a 

 crop of wheat. 



The time of sowing depends on the kind of tare, and the pur- 

 pose 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 they are to be cut green for soiling 

 throughout the summer and autumn, which is the most advan- 

 tageous method of consuming them ; successive sowings should 

 follow till the end of May. Summer tares, when meant for seed, 

 ought to be sown early, otherwise the return will be imperfect, 

 but when for green food any time betwixt the first of April and 

 the end of May will answer, provided crops in succession from 

 the first to the last mentioned period be regularly cultivated. 

 In Middlesex, the winter sowing is commenced about the begin- 

 ning of August ; in the northern counties no winter sowings are 

 made, as the tare there will not endure the severity of that 

 season. 



The mode of sowing tares is mostly broad-cast, which should 

 be performed as early as possible over well prepared land, the 

 seeds being afterwards covered in by proper harrowing. It has 

 been suggested, that in rich soil it is probable the row method 

 would succeed well with this sort of crop, as Marshal states is 

 the practice in some of the southern districts of the island. After 

 the seed is sown, and the land carefully harrowed, a light roller 

 ought to be drawn across, so that the surface may be smooth, 

 and the scythe permitted to work without interruption. It is 

 proper also to guard the field for several days against the depre- 

 dations of pigeons, who are remarkably fond of tares, and will 

 pick up a great part of the seed unless constantly watched. 



The quantity of seed to an acre is from 2^ to 3^ bushels, ac- 

 cording to the time of sowing, and as thev are to be consumed 

 green or left to stand for a crop. When tares are intended for 

 seed less seed is required. A writer in the Farmer's magazine, 

 vol. 1. has suggested that the most productive manner of sowing 

 this crop when intended for seed, is to mix them amongst beans 

 when drilled, at the rate of one firlot of tares to one boll of beans, 

 and by this means the quality of lares is vastly improved, as by 

 clinging to the beans they are kept from the ground, and enjoy 

 the full benefit of the sun in ripening them in the most perfect 



