VERMIN. 



VETCH. 



VERMIN. A general name for all birds, 

 animals, insects, &c., which prey upon or 

 prove injurious to the cultivator's crops, and to 

 his live-stock. 



The insects, &c., comprise the most exten- 

 sive and fearful class of depredators. Among 

 these are the aphides, caterpillars, ants, beetles, 

 and their grubs, wire-worms, slugs, earth- 

 worms, &c. 



VERNAL GRASS. See ANTHOXANTHUM. 



VERSATILE. In botany, signifies swinging 

 lightly on the stalk, so as to be continually 

 changing direction. It is illustrated in the 

 leaves of the aspen. 



VERTICILLATE. Disposed in a whorl. 



VERVAIN (Verbena; said to be derived 

 from its Celtic name Ferfaen). This is a genus 

 of extremely beautiful ornamental plants while 

 in flower, either when grown in pots in the 

 green-house or when planted out in the flower 

 garden ; and they will all succeed well in the 

 open ground during the summer months. The 

 flowers of V. teucriaidcs have a delightful jas- 

 minelike odour. They all flourish well in a 

 light loamy soil, with careful drainage when 

 kept in pots. The herbaceous perennial kinds 

 increase rapidly by cuttings, planted in sand 

 under a glass ; the green-house kinds in a little 

 heat. The annuals and biennials should be 

 raised on a gentle hot-bed. 



One species is indigenous to England, the 

 common vervain (V. officinalis), a perennial 

 which grows by road-sides and in dry waste 

 grounds, or pastures about villages. The root 

 is woody, somewhat creeping. Stem ascend- 

 ing, 1 foot high, leafy, roughish, with minute 

 prickles or bristles. Leaves deeply cut. Spikes 

 slender, several composing a sort of panicle 

 of small, bluish, inodorous flowers. This spe- 

 cies has scarcely any aromatic or other sen- 

 sible quality. The root worn about the neck 

 with a string is an old superstitious remedy or 

 charm for the king's evil. 



A great many species of vervain or verbena 

 are found in various parts of the United States. 

 Nuttall enumerates 10 in this country, and 

 altogether 20 American species in the two 

 hemispheres. 



VESICLES. In botany, inflated, hollow ex- 

 crescences, like bladders or blisters. 



VETCH (Vicia, fromvincio, to bind together, 

 because the species have tendrils by which 

 they encircle other plants). Some of the spe- 

 cies of this genus are well worth cultivating in 

 the flower-border for the beauty of their flowers. 

 They are of the easiest culture in any common 

 garden soil. The perennial kinds may be rea- 

 dily increased by dividing the root or by seeds. 

 The seeds of the annual kinds only require to 

 be sown in the open border in spring. V. saliva 

 and its varieties are extensively cultivated, and 

 well known by the common name of vetch or 

 tares; they are used in England as early fodder 

 for all kinds of cattle, and are allowed to be 

 more nutritive and profitable than hay or any 

 other herbage. The seeds also form the food 

 of pigeons. There are in Britain 10 indigenous 

 species of vetch, the principal of which are the 

 tufted vetch, wood vetch, common vetch, and 

 bush vetch. Of all the different vetches (says 

 Sinclair) that were submitted to experiment, 

 1080 



the winter tare or common vetch (V. saliva, 

 var.) afforded the most nutritive matter: 64 

 drachms of the herbage, cut at the time of 

 flowering, afforded 4 drachms 4 grains of nu- 

 tritive matter; while spring tares only yielded 

 3 drachms 3 grains, which confirms the justice 

 of that preference which practice has given to 

 the former. 



1. The tufted vetch (F. cracca), is a peren- 

 nial, very common in England in a wild state 

 hi hedges, thickets, osier grounds, and bushy, 

 low meadows. The stems are 2 or 3 feet high, 

 furrowed, rather downy, climbing by means of 

 their long, many-branched tendrils, by which 

 they choke and overtop other herbs. Flowers 

 numerous, in dense clusters, beautifully varie- 

 gated with tints of bright violet-blue, and some 

 purple. Legume scarcely an inch long, smooth, 

 with 4 or 5 dark, globular seeds, the size of a 

 lentil. This vetch is said to be nutritious food 

 for cattle, but it has not come into use, proba- 

 bly from the difficulty of gathering, or of culti- 

 vating, so pertinacious a climber. Dr. Plot, in 

 his History of Staffordshire, says that this and 

 the Vicia sylvatica advance starved or weak 

 cattle above any thing yet known; and Dr. 

 Anderson, in his Essays, speaks highly of this 

 plant. It is inferior to the wood vetch, or com- 

 mon tare (V. sylvatica), in the quantity of nu- 

 tritive matter it affords, but contains much less 

 superfluous moisture. This must give it a su- 

 periority, in regard to nutrient properties, over 

 tares which contain an excess. But it has a 

 strong, creeping root, that will always prevent 

 its admission to arable lands. It might be best 

 cultivated on tenacious soils, and used after 

 the mariner of lucern, to which it is much su- 

 perior in nutritive qualities, though greatly de- 

 ficient in the weight of crop. Forty-three grains 

 of nutritive matter consisted of 



Saccharine matter, or sugar - 

 Mucilage - - - - - 

 Insoluble and saline matter 



The tufted vetch flowers about the middle of 

 July or the beginning of August, and the seed 

 is ripe at the beginning of September. 



2. The wood vetch ( V. sylvatica) grows in woods 

 and hedges, chiefly in the more mountainous 

 parts of Britain, and is one of our most elegant 

 wild plants, well worthy to decorate shrubbe- 

 ries, or to be trained over a trellis or bower. 

 The habits of this vetch are similar to those 

 of the species last described, but it seems more 

 impatient of exposure, and thrives best where 

 it has the support of bushes. The root is creep- 

 ing, perennial; herbage smooth. Stems nume- 

 rous, much branched, climbing to the height 

 of 6 or 7 feet, and spreading widely, decorating 

 the bushes which support them with a profu- 

 sion of delicate flowers, elegantly variegated 

 with blue and white, streaked with gray. Le- 

 gume the size of the last, bright brown, minutely 

 dotted. When transplanted to open situations, 

 the produce is inconsiderable compared with 

 that of the tufted vetch or the bush vetch, 

 though in its natural place of growth the pro- 

 duce is six times that of either of these species ; 

 it is likewise superior in the quantity of nutri- 

 tive matter it affords. Horses, cows, sheep, 

 and the South American llamas, ate this vetch. 



