428 FEEDING ANIMALS. 



States. He also enumerates Vicia sativa, the most valua- 

 ble species grown by English farmers. So that there can 

 be little doubt that the vetch, or tare, can be profitably 

 grown in all the Eastern, Middle and Western States. 



English farmers regard the vetch as only second to clover, 

 because of its nutritiousness, and the relish with which all 

 kinds of stock eat it, as well as because of its easy cultiva- 

 tion. It is the favorite crop of the sheep-farmer for feed- 

 ing off on the land ; and, like clover, will furnish pasturage 

 upon which sheep maybe folded, at successive periods, dur- 

 ing the whole season. 



For this purpose the winter vetch is chosen, because, being 

 established over winter, the roots ramify more extensively, 

 and produce a larger amount of fodder than the spring 

 vetch, and it has been found, on several tests, to be more 

 nutritious per weight. This winter vetch would be even 

 better for bringing forward sheep and lambs in summer 

 than winter rye, because it is much richer in albuminoids. 

 Dr. Voelcker found the green food to contain 82.16 per cent, 

 water; 3.56 albuminoids; 12.74 carbo-hydrates and fat, 

 and 1.54 per cent, ash ; and, when deprived of water, it con- 

 tained 20 per cent, albuminoids thus being richer than 

 clover. It possesses all the elements, in due proportion, for 

 growing lambs and fattening sheep. This food, being so 

 rich in nitrogen, it might be fed with Indian corn to better 

 effect in bringing up a worn soil than rye or millet. It is 

 often grown upon ohe heavy clay loams in England ; and a 

 rich clay loam will produce maximum crops. 



It will readily be seen what an important agency this 

 crop may become, when fed off by sheep, in recovering the 

 worn farms of New England and the Middle States. It is 

 not better, with the same weight of crop, than clover for 

 this purpose; but can be grown upon land where it is dif- 

 ficult to seed to clover, and this crop may be the means of 

 fitting the land for the growth of clover. Rye is the easiest 



