LEGUMINOSjE. CLXIX. VICIA. 



323 



manner. The beans at the same time answer for bands to tie 

 the principal crop, and the produce in this way on an average of 

 seasons is considered at least double. A little rye sown with the 

 tvinter-tares, and a few oats with the spring-tares, not only serves 

 to support the weak climbing stems, but adds to the bulk of the 

 crop, by growing up through the interstices. 



In the choice of the seed. It is hardly possible to distinguish 

 the grain of the winter from that of the spring variety ; the for- 

 mer is said to be rather smaller and lighter coloured, but the 

 only reliance must be on the honesty of the vender. 



The after culture given to tares, consists merely in pulling out 

 the larger weeds, unless they are in rows, in which case the 

 horse or hand-hoe is applied ; or intended for seed, in which 

 case the weeding must be more particularly executed. 



In reaping tares for soiling, they ought always to be cut with 

 the scythe, as the sickle by breaking asunder the stalks, and tear- 

 ing up a number of the roots, renders the second crop of little 

 value. When sown early, they will sometimes produce three 

 mowings, but generally two. In reaping tares for seed, they 

 may be either mown or cut down with the sickle, and treated like 

 peas in drying, stalking, and threshing. 



Tares are eaten ojf the ground in some places by different 

 kinds of live stock, particularly by sheep ; and as the winter- 

 sown variety comes very early in spring, the value of this rich 

 food is then very considerable. The waste, however, in this 

 way must be very great, even though the sheep be confined by 

 hurdles, and must be still greater when consumed by horses or 

 cattle. 



Tare crops are sometimes made into hay, in which case great 

 attention is necessary in drying it properly. The best time for 

 cutting tares for hay is when the blossoms have begun to decline 

 and the tares begin to fall and lie flat. When well made the 

 hay is of the best and most nutritious properties. 



The produce of tares cut green is, according to Middleton, 

 10 to 12 tons the acre, which is a large crop, and when made 

 into hay about 3 tons the acre, which shows the disadvantage 

 of making these crops into hay. And it is found that the spring- 

 tare crops are lighter and more likely to be injured by a dry 

 season. 



The produce in seed is likewise found to be considerable, 

 being by some stated to be at from 3 to 6 sacks, but in other 

 instances 40 bushels or more have been obtained from the acre. 



In the application of tares they are found to be a most nou- 

 rishing food for all sorts of cattle. Cows give more butter 

 when fed with this plant than with any other food whatsoever. 

 Horses thrive better upon tares than they do upon clover or 

 rye-grass ; and the same remark is applicable to the fattening 

 of cattle, who feed faster upon this article of green fodder than 

 upon any kind of grass or esculent plant whatever. Danger 

 often arises from their eating too much, especially when the 

 tare is podded, as colics and other stomach disorders are apt to 

 be produced by the excessive loads which they devour, in con- 

 sequence perhaps of the great quantity of fixed air contained in 

 the plant. When the tares are over succulent, fewer dangers 

 would follow if the tares were mixed with oat-straw in the stalls. 

 If the plants are cut green and given to live stock, either on the 

 field or in the fold-yards, there is perhaps no green crop of 

 greater value, nor any better calculated to give a succession of 

 herbage from May to November. The winter-sown tare, in 

 a favorable situation, is ready for cutting before clover. The 

 first spring crop comes in after the clover must be all consumed 

 or made into hay, and the successive spring sowings give a 

 produce more nourishing for the larger animals than the after 

 math of clover, and may afford green food at least a month 

 longer. In the county of Sussex, Young observes, " tare 

 crops are of such use and importance, that not one-tenth of 



the stock could be maintained without them : horses, cows 

 sheep, hogs, all feed upon them : hogs are soiled upon them 

 without any other food. This plant maintains more stock than 

 any other plant whatsoever. Upon an acre, Davies maintained 

 4 horses in much better condition than upon 5 acres of grass. 

 Upon 8 acres he has kept 12 horses and 5 cows for three months, 

 without any other food whatever. No artificial food is equal 

 to this excellent plant." This statement must be coupled with 

 the usual produce of turnips in Sussex, 10 or 15 tons per acre, 

 hence the superiority of tares to every other green crop. Tares 

 cut green, Professor Thaer observes, draw no nourishment from 

 the soil whatever, while made into hay they afford a fodder pre- 

 ferred by cattle to peas-straw, and more nutritive than hay or 

 any other herbage. 



The use of the grain of tares, is usually for sowing ; but they 

 are also given to pigeons, by whom they are highly relished, 

 and it is thought they would form a very good food for poultry. 

 In Germany they are given to horses, cows, sheep, and swine. 



The diseases of tares are so few as to be of no consequence. 

 A crop is sometimes, but rarely, lost by the mildew. 



Common or Cultivated Vetch or Tare. Fl. May, July. 

 Britain. PI. cl. 



89 V. ANGUSTIFOLIA (Roth. tent. fl. germ. p. 310.) leaves 

 cirrhiferous ; leaflets 10-12, linear-lanceolate, lower ones obcor- 

 date, mucronulate, pilose, or smoothish ; stipulas semi-sagittately 

 toothed ; flowers twin, sessile ; calycine segments linear, nearly 

 equal : legumes compressed, somewhat torulose, erectish, reti- 

 culated ; seeds globose, black. O- H. Native of Europe, in 

 corn-fields. Engl. bot. suppl. 2614. V. sativa fl, Lin. 1. c. 

 Smith, engl. fl. 3. p. 381. Sturm, deutschl. fl. 1. fasc. 31. 

 with a figure. V. Luganensis, Schleich. exsic. ex herb. D. C. 

 V. lathyroides, Huds. angl. ed. 2. p. 318. but not of Lin. 

 Flowers purplish-crimson. 



Narrow-leaved Vetch. Fl. May, June. Britain. PI. cl. 



90 V. GLA'BRA (Schleich. ex pi. exsic.) leaflets oblong-ovate, 

 rather truncate and mucronate, glabrous, as well as the legumes 

 and calyxes ; the rest as in V. safiva. 0. H. Native of Swit- 

 zerland, in fields. V. sativa, var. E, glabra, Ser. in D. C. 

 prod. 2. p. 301. Flowers purple. 



Glabrous Vetch. Fl. May, July. Clt. 1819. PI. cl. 



91 V. BOBA'RTII (Forst. in Lin. trans, vol. 16. p. 442.) leaves 

 cirrhiferous, rather hairy ; leaflets 6-7 linear, lower ones obcor- 

 date ; stipulas small, narrow, toothed, with a pale depression 

 beneath ; flowers solitary, nearly sessile ; legume nearly up- 

 right, narrow, downy ; finally blackish ; seed globose, smooth. 

 O- H. Native of England, in grassy pastures, on a chalky or 

 gravelly soil ; in Essex ; on Shotover-hill, Oxfordshire ; in Stow 

 wood ; in Hyde-park ; among the grass in Richmond Gardens ; 

 also in Scotland. V. angustifolia, Smith, eng. fl. 3. p. 382. V. 

 angustifolia, /3, Pers. V. lathyroides, Dicks. V. lathyroides, /3, 

 Huds. V. sativa, /, Smith, fl. brit. 770. Flowers crimson, 

 white at the keel and lower edge of the wings. 



Bobart's Vetch. Fl. May, July. Britain. PI. cl. 



92 V. LEUCOSPE'RMA (Mcench. meth. 148.) leaves cirrhiferous; 

 leaflets 10-12, obcordate, pilose or glabrous ; stipulas semi- 

 sagittately toothed ; flowers usually twin, sessile ; calyx cylin- 

 drical, with linear-lanceolate, nearly equal segments ; legumes 

 somewhat torulose; seeds globose, white, or yellow. Q. H. 

 Native of Europe. V. alba, Mcench. meth. 148. Flowers 

 white or purple. 



White-seeded Vetch. Fl. May, July. Clt. 1810. PI. cl. 



93 V. GRANDIFLORA (Scop. fl. earn. 2. p. 65. t. 42.) leaves 

 cirrhiferous ; leaflets obcordate, mucronate, 10-12, approximate ; 

 stipulas ovate ; flowers usually twin, inclined ; calycine seg- 

 ments nearly equal, length of tube ; vexillum obovate, mucro- 

 nulate ; style bearded at the apex ; legumes oblong, com- 



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