VETCH, THE BITTER. 



with more eagerness than they did the other 

 vetches or natural grasses that were on seve- 

 ral trials offered to them. The wood vetch 

 flowers in July and August, and the seed is 

 ripe in September. 



3. The common vetch or tare (V. saliva, PI. 

 7, r) is an annual plant, which is in general 

 cultivation, and therefore too well known to 

 need description; 3000 grains of the green 

 herbage of the common vetch consist of 



Grains. 



Woody or indigestible substance - - 557 



Water 2250 



Nutritive matter 193 



Hence 1,135 grains of the woody fibre of tares 

 are combined with 27 grains of saline matter. 



In England vetches are very commonly sown 

 upon a wheat stubble, and no crop better re- 

 pays the addition of any organic fertilizers. 



The bush vetch ( V. sepium) has been already 

 noticed. See BUSH VETCH. 



The other British species of vetch or tare are 

 the narrow-leaved crimson vetch (F. angusti- 

 folia), spring vetch (V. lathy roides), rough-pod- 

 ded yellow vetch (V. lutea), hairy-flowered yel- 

 low vetch (F. hybrida), smooth-podded sea-vetch 

 (V. fcnngafa), and rough-podded purple vetch 

 (F. bithyrica). These call for no detailed de- 

 scription. A few species of the vetch family are 

 found in the United States and Territories. The 

 species called tufted vetch (F. cracca), is com- 

 mon on the borders of woods and meadows, and 

 troublesome in some gardens in the southern 

 parts of Pennsylvania and other Middle States. 

 Mr. Nuttall says it is smaller than the European 

 plant described under the same name, but Dr. 

 Darlington does not feel satisfied of its being 

 a native of the United States. 



The species enumerated by Mr. Nuttall are, 

 \.V.pusilla. 1. Saliva. 3. Americana. 4. Syl- 

 vatica, inhabiting the alluvial banks of the Mis- 

 souri as far north as Fort Mandan. Leaflets a 

 little more obtuse than usual. 5. Cracca. 6. 

 Caroliniana. See TARE and VETCHLIHG. 



VETCH, THE BITTER (Orobus, from oro, 

 to excite, and bous, an ox ; the orobos of Theo- 

 phrastus was the name of a plant used for fat- 

 tening oxen). The plants of this genus deserve 

 to have a place in every flower-border, on ac- 

 count of their very elegant papilionaceous blos- 

 soms. Any soil suits them, and they are readily 

 increased by dividing the plants at the roots in 

 spring, or raised by seeds. There are in Eng- 

 land two native species, both perennials. 



1. The common bitter vetch, or heath pea 

 (0. tuberosus), grows in elevated or mountain- 

 ous pastures, thickets, and woods. The root 

 is creeping, externally blackish, swelling here 

 and there into oblong knobs. Herbage smooth, 

 darkish green. Stems simple, erect, a foot high, 

 compressed and winged. Leaves alternate. 

 Flowers in loose, long-stalked, axillary clus- 

 ters, elegantly variegated and veined, with pur- 

 ple, crimson, and shades of blue and flesh co- 

 lour. Legumes pendulous, long, cylindrical, 

 black when ripe. The roots have a sweetish 

 taste, and afford some luxuries and refresh- 

 ments to the hardy independent Highlander. 

 There is considerable elegance in the flowers, 

 and in the plant altogether. 



2. Wood bitter vetch (O. sylvaticus"). In this 



136 



VETERINARY COLLEGE. 



species the root is woody and tough, deeply 

 fixed in the ground. The stems are numerous, 

 spreading or recumbent, 1 to 2 feet long, hairy, 

 more or less branched. Clusters of numerous 

 flowers, which have a hairy calyx, are cream- 

 coloured, streaked, and tipped with purple. 

 The legumes are ovate-oblong, smooth, com- 

 pressed, and shorter than usual in the genus. 



VETCH, KIDNEY. See KIDNEY-VETCH. 



VETCH, MILK. See MILK- VETCH. 



VETCHLING (Lathyrus.) A numerous 

 herbaceous genus of annual or perennial plants. 

 The flowers are stalked, axillary, either soli- 

 tary, in pairs, or in clusters ; either crimson, 

 purplish, blue, or yellow. The herbage com- 

 monly affords good fodder; the seeds are scarce- 

 ly used for any purpose. There are seven indi- 

 genous species of vetchling, or everlasting pea; 

 the yellow vetchling (L. aphaca), the crimson 

 vetchling or grass-vetch {L. nissolia), the rough- 

 podded vetchling (L. hirsutus), the yellow mea- 

 dow vetchling, or tare everlasting (L. pratensis), 

 narrow-leaved everlasting pea (L. sylveslrii), 

 broad-leaved everlasting pea (L. latifulins), and 

 the blue marsh vetchling (L. palustris): most 

 of these species have been already noticed un- 

 der the heads EVERLASTING PEA and LATHY- 

 Rcs. The latifoliui is that species usually cul- 

 tivated in gardens on account of the beauty of 

 the flowers. It has been recommended for field 

 cultivation, but the advice has not been fol- 

 lowed. Bees procure much honey from the 

 flowers. 



VETERINARY COLLEGE. The Highland 

 Society of Scotland have instituted a veterinary 

 school in connection with their establishment, 

 which is under the management of Professor 

 Dick. By diffusing generally a practical know- 

 ledge of veterinary medicine, it cannot fail to 

 be attended with the happiest consequences to 

 the community at large. A veterinary college 

 has long been established in London; and that 

 useful periodical, the Veterinarian, edited by 

 Professor Youatt, has added much valuable in- 

 formation to our stock of knowledge on the dis- 

 eases of animals. See FARRIERY and HIPPO- 

 PATHOLOGY. 



The London Veterinary College was first 

 established in the year 1792, at St. Pancras. 

 Mr. Boardman, in his Dictionary of the Veteri- 

 nary Art, remarks, that " the public are indebt- 

 ed for this national foundation to the exertions 

 of the Agricultural Society of Odiham, in 

 Hampshire. The first professor was M. St. 

 Bel, a Frenchman, who had previously signal- 

 ized himself in this country as a veterinary 

 anatomist, by dissecting the famous race-horse 

 Eclipse. This college is supported by public 

 subscription. The annual contribution is 2 

 guineas, but payment of 20 guineas at once 

 constitutes a subscriber for life. 



"The views and objects of the college ap- 

 pear in the following statement, printed by the 

 authority of the governors. The grand object, 

 they observe, is the improvement of veterinary 

 knowledge, in order to remedy the ignorance 

 and incompetency of farriers, so long univer- 

 sally complained of. For this end, a range of 

 stables, a forge, a theatre for dissections and 

 lectures, with other buildings, have been 

 erected : a'gentleman of superior abilities has 

 4 Y 1081 



