TAVOLA OF ECONOMIC PLANTS. 403 



ground, generally in the side of a bank, in wliicli the billets are 

 placed, and formed into a heap above the surface, the whole 

 being closely and compactly covered with turf or earth ; a fire is 

 then kindled from below, and the slow combustion causes the tar 

 to exude from the wood, and flow from an opening into ban-els 

 placed below to receive it. The greatest quantities used in 

 this country are imported from ports in the Baltic and Arch- 

 angel. Tar by distillation yields the products, wood-vinegar 

 (pyroligneous acid), oil of tar, and creosote, and leaves a resinous 

 residue called Pitch ; the principal quantity of pitch, however, 

 is obtained by boiling tar ; by evaporation the volatile oil passes 

 off, and the residue hardens into pitch. 



The above method of obtaining tar and pitch was de- 

 scribed by Theophrastus 2200 years ago, and at the present 

 time is much modified by the introduction of modern appli- 

 cations. 



Tare, or Vetch ( Vicia sativa), an annual of the Bean family 

 (Leguminosce), extensively cultivated in this country as early 

 fodder for cattle. It must be understood that it is not the 

 tares among the wheat spoken of in the New Testament, for 

 which see Darnel. 



Taro. — Colocasia escuhnta, C. antiquoriim, and C. macrorhiza, 

 herbs of the Arum family (Aroidea3). They have large, heart- 

 shaped leaves, borne on long foot-stalks, which rise from a 

 short, fleshy, farinaceous corm. Numerous varieties are culti- 

 vated throughout all tropical countries. The corms furnish an 

 important article of food to the inhabitants of tropical India, the 

 islands of the Pacific, and also in the West Indies, where they 

 are called eddoes, and scratch-coco. Taro is the general name 

 for them. 



Tarragon [Artemisia Dracunmihis), a strong, erect, perennial 

 of the Composite family (Composita^), native of Siberia, intro- 

 duced more than 300 years ago, and cultivated in our gardens 

 as a culinary herb for flavouring dishes. 



Tartarian Lamb. (Sec Barometz.) 



Tavola. (Sec ]\Iyrobalans.) 



