C*5 1 



No. II. 



A Plan for improroing the Groxith of Tares. By Mr. Thomas Herod, of North 



Creak, Norfolk. 



X o be sown broad-cast in October, from ten to twelve pecks per acre, with one 

 peck of wheat, then ploughed into four-furrow ridges. In the months of April and 

 May, a one horse plough (double breast) is to be run through the furrows ; tliis will 

 keep them clean, and admit the air to the roots of the tares, and will keep them 

 green and growing till Midsummer. 



Observations. — Tares being found very useful for the soiling of cattle, and the best 

 plan of growing them being required by the Board, I submit one for their considera- 

 tion which I have practised seven years with success. They are a plant that contain 

 a great deal of moisture, particularly when young, therefore it is not proper to soil 

 cattle with them in that state without dry food ; those persons who are destitute of 

 that must give them very sparingly, or they injure their stock more than they are 

 aware of. On the general plan of sowing, soon after they are at an age proper 

 for the stock, they begin to rot at the bottom ; to obviate which, some people sow 

 rye, some oats, and some barley, the stems of the latter being weak, of course they 

 can have no effect : the former soon get hard and the cattle refuse to eat them, and 

 by endeavouring to avoid them destroy many of the tares, treading them underfoot: 

 therefore on that plan they cannot be grown to so great advantage as might be 

 hoped for. If it had been considered that air is the most essential means of the life 

 both of the animal and vegetable creation, a different plan would have been resorted 

 to. It is well known, that tares grow so close together at the tops, as to exclude 

 all the external air from the bottoms, and although they keep green at the tops 

 where they receive the air, they continue rotting at the bottoms for want of it. 

 When they are cut for soiling, the stock refusing to eat the decayed part, destroy a 

 great deal of the sound food ; the loss to the growers of this plant therefore is not 

 to be calculated! My first attempt of improvement was on two roods of ground 

 for the soiling of two horses, sown as first stated, and ploughed into four furrow 

 ridges; they continued growing with rapidity to the heiglu of near five feet 



