126 OTHER FORAGE PLANTS— VETCH OR TARE. 



feeding them off with sheep, or mowing for summer- 

 soiling in foldyards; this course being an admirable 

 preparation of the land for wheat. Green Tares, accord- 

 ing to chemical analysis, are about equal in nutritive 

 value to the better sorts of clover. As live stock of all 

 sorts are very fond of this green food, there is a danger 

 of colic being produced from overloaded stomachs ; 

 consequently, when Tares have grown too succulent or 

 are overcharged with moisture, they should be mown 

 some hours before being given to the animals — or mixed 

 with straw and hay, or passed with these dry foods 

 through the chaff-cutter. 



WJien intended for hay, Tares should be left standing 

 until the flowers have for the most part given way to 

 the pods, and some of the seeds become well formed. 

 The crop is then ready for the scythe. "When well 

 saved it forms excellent fodder, surpassing meadow hay 

 in nutritive power ; but, if saturated with rain, becomes 

 injured more than other grasses. The produce may 

 yield about three tons of hay per acre, but is commonly 

 coarse in quality. 



Time of sowing— Iot: winter Tares is from the begin- 

 ning of October to middle of November ; for summer 

 Tares, from the beginning of March to the end of June, 

 according to the purposes for which they are intended. 

 For spring sowing use three bushels Tares and one bushel 

 Oats, and for winter sowing three bushels Tares and 

 one bushel Eye. 



