396 HORTUS GRAMINEUS WOBURNENSIS. 



VICIA sylvatica. Wood Vetch. 



Specific character: Fruit-stalks many-flowered; leafets elliptic; 

 stipula crescent-shaped, toothed. Hortus Gram. Wob. Fol. 

 297. 



Obs. Stems running to a great height in the bushes where it 

 grows, and spreading widely, so as to choke its supporters. 

 Leaves of six or nine pair of leafets, mostly alternate. Sti- 

 pulae in pairs, small, deeply divided into several awl-shaped 

 segments. Flowers whitish, with beautiful pencil-streaks of 

 blue. Pods lanceolate, smooth, pale brown. E. Bot. t. 79 ; 

 Flo. Dan. t. 277 ; Wither, iii. 335. 



Native of Britain, and most parts of Europe, from Sweden to 

 the south of Italy ; also of Siberia. Root perennial. 



Experiments. At the time of flowering, the produce from a 



clayey loam is 



Produce per Acre, 

 dr. qr. Ibs. 



Herbage, 12 oz. The produce per acre - 8167 8 



80 dr. of herbage weigh, when dry - 20 7 OQ^I 14 Q 

 The produce of the space, ditto 48 3 



The weight lost by the produce of one acre in drying 6750 10 

 64 dr. of herbage afford of nutritive matter 2 27 ^^ Q Q 

 The produce of the space, ditto 723 



The habits of this vetch are similar to those of the Vicia cracca, 

 but it seems more impatient of exposure : it thrives better where 

 it has the support of bushes. When transplanted to open situa- 

 tions, the produce is inconsiderable compared with that of the 

 Vicia cracca or Vicia sepium ; though in its natural place of growth 

 the produce is six times that of either of these vetches, it is like- 

 wise superior in the quantity of nutritive matter it affords. Horses, 

 cows, sheep, and the South American sheep (lamala), ate this 

 vetch with more eagerness than they did the other vetches or 

 natural grasses that were on several trials offered to them. 



Of all the different vetches that were submitted to experiment, 

 the winter tare, or common vetch (Vicia sativa, var.), afforded the 

 most nutritive matter. 64 dr. of the herbage, cut at the time of 

 flowering, afforded 4 dr. 4 gr. of nutritive matter ; spring tares 

 afforded only 3 dr. 3 qrs., which confirms the justice of that pre- 

 ference which practice has given to the former. 



Flowers in July and August, and the seed is ripe in September. 





