CULTIVATION OF PLANTS. 243 



ground, they produce as much green food of the best quality 

 per acre, as the richest grazing land; and the ground may be 

 cleared of them in such good time, (June,) as to admit of rais- 

 ing a clean crop of either turnips, beets, rape, cabbages or pota- 

 toes, on the same soil in the same season and even after the 

 crop of rape, cabbages, or potatoes, or beets have been culti- 

 vated and removed, the same soil may be prepared and sown 

 with either wheat, barley, oats, or pulse. By this means three 

 valuable crops may be obtained in any place every two years." 



The tare does best on a clayey soil, but will grow in any 

 soil not too dry, provided it is rich. As this crop very soon 

 spreads and covers the surface, a dry season is considered the 

 most favourable, as in a moist climate, or when the season is 

 unusually damp and wet, the stems grow with such luxuriance 

 as very often to rot at the bottom; while on the other hand, if 

 the season proves remarkably dry, the haulm is deficient in 

 length. 



When tares are sown in autumn, the preparation of the 

 ground seldom consists of more than one ploughing, after 

 which the seeds are sown in the usual manner and harrowed 

 nothing, however, would be lost by a more thorough tillage. 

 When sown in spring, the land should be ploughed the pre- 

 ceding fall, cross ploughed in the spring, well harrowed, and 

 receive a third ploughing if necessary, as it is always best to 

 have the surface well prepared. As soon as sown the land 

 should be well rolled, to facilitate the subsequent action of the 

 scythe. If the spring crop requires manure it should be ap- 

 plied to the land and turned under the preceding autumn. It 

 is a grand error to sow tares on land which is not clean and in 

 good condition. When designed for green food at a late season, 

 sow in spring and in order to procure a succession of cuttings 

 during summer and autumn, portions of the land should be sown 

 at intervals from the middle of March to the end of May. 



The time of sowing depends on the kind of tare and the 

 object had in view in its cultivation. Fall sowing may take 

 place from the middle of September to the 10th of November; 

 and in spring as early as the state of the season will justify, but 

 not until all danger from frosts is fully removed. The usual 

 mode of sowing is broadcast, though they are better sown in 

 rows like peas and beans, though this is by no means essential. 

 The quantity of seed required to the acre is from three to four 

 bushels when intended for seed alone, two bushels and a half 

 are found sufficient. It is customary to mix a portion of some 

 of the cereal grasses with the tare, by which the quantity of 

 fodder is increased in their growth they do not interfere with 

 each other. For winter tares, rye is recommended; for spring 



