TARES. 



" They are a most important preen 

 crop in the improved systems olasrri- 

 ciilture, especially on heavy soils, 

 ivhere they thrive best. When sown 

 in autumn, with a small sprinklini? of 

 wheat or rye, they cover the ground 

 in spring, and supply abundance of 

 fodder in summer. A good crop of 

 tares is fully equal in value, if not su- 

 perior, to one of red clover : it comes 

 ofT the ground in sufficient time to 

 give the land a hasty summer tillage, 

 which is so useful in destroying 

 weeds, and to allow turnips to be 

 sown in the same season. They 

 smother annual weeds if the crop is 

 plentiful, which should always be se- 

 cured by an abundant manuring ; thus 

 they are a good substitute for a sum- 

 mer fallow in heavy soils, and amply 

 repay the labour and manure bestowed 

 upon them. 



" There are many species and va- 

 rieties of tares ; but that which is 

 found the best adapted for agricultu- 

 ral purposes is the common tare (Fz- 

 da sattra, Fig.), of which tliere are 



two principal varieties, very shghtly 

 differing in appearance, one of which 

 is hardy, and will stand the severest 

 winters ; the other is more tender, 

 and is therefore only sown in spring ; 

 but it has the advantage of vegeta- 

 ting more rapidly, so that spring tares 

 sown in March will be tit to cut with- 

 in a fortnight or three weeks after 

 those which were sown in autumn. 



U f 



By sowing them at regular intervals 

 from .September to May, a succession 

 of green tares in perfection, that is, 

 in bloom, or when the pods are form- 

 ed, may be cut for several months, 

 from May to October. A prudent 

 farmer arranges his crops so that he 

 shall have artificial green food for 

 his horses and cattle at least six 

 months in the year, by having tares 

 fit to cut between the first and sec- 

 ond cut of clover. When there are 

 more tares than is absolutely requi- 

 red for this purpose, and the weather 

 permits, they make excellent hay ; 

 or, if the weather is not favourable, 

 thf-y are cut and given to sheep, 

 which are folded on the portion al- 

 ready cut. It is an advantage to have 

 portable racks for this purpose, that 

 the fodder may not be trodden under 

 foot and wasted ; or the tares may 

 be placed between hurdles, tied two 

 and two, which form extemporaneous 

 racks. It is prudent to raise suf5- 

 cient seed for another year ; but a 

 crop of seed tares raised for sale is 

 seldom profitable, as they greatly ex- 

 haust the soil ; and the price varies 

 so much in different seasons, that it 

 becomes too much of a speculation 

 for a farmer. The difficulty in dis- 

 tinguishing the seed of the winter 

 tare from the spring variety is so 

 great, that it should either be raised 

 at home, or only purchased from 

 neighbours or from the most respect- 

 able seedsmen. It is a common prac- 

 tice with dealers to mix the seeds of 

 the winter tares, after the time of 

 sowing is past, with spring tares, 

 which are in request at a later period. 

 The inconvenience of this is, that 

 they do not vegetate equally, and con- 

 sequently the winter tare is not in 

 bloom w'hen the spring tare is fit for 

 the scythe. Foreign lares, which are 

 imported in large quantities, are often 

 the growth of southern climates, and 

 will not stand the winter ; or they 

 have been raised from seed sown in 

 spring, so as to be really spring tares. 

 The difference is probably more ow- 

 ing to habit than to any real botani- 

 cal distinction between them. When 

 spring tares are sown in autumn 



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