V E T 



V E T 



ther, and lay in the valley between Vefuvius and the Her- 

 mitage. From the fragments which furroundcd this mafs, 

 it appeared to have been much larger when m the air. 

 For further obfervations on the volcanic phenomena of Vefu- 

 vius and the adjar- nt country, fee Volcano. 



VETAS, a town of South America, in New Grenada; 

 15 miles E.S.E. of Pamplona. 



VETAVELUM, a town of Hindooftan, in the Car- 

 natic ; 12 miles N. of Tricalore. 



VETCH, in Botany, a word of one common origin with 

 ViciA ; fee that article, as well as Lathyrus, Orobus, 

 and Astragalus. 



Vetch, m ^gricu/tiin; a well-known wild plant of the 

 fodder kind, which in fome of its forts promifes, from the 

 few trials that have yet been made with it, to be beneficial 

 when cultivated in the field. In this view, it has been fug- 

 gefted, that fome of the plants of this kind may be ufeful 

 to the farmer either as affording a good full pafturage for 

 live-ftock, or as fnpplying large quantities of green food to 

 be confnmed in other ways; though nothing fatisfadlory 

 has hitherto been done in afcertaining how far they may be 

 of fuperior utility in feeding or fattening, pafturing, and 

 being eaten green in the cut ftate by animals, to fully jullify 

 any decifion as to their particular merits in anv of thefe 

 modes of application. They are, however, in general, plants 

 that are, in their nature, not only very produftive as to the 

 quantity of food, but from many trials, extremely nutritious 

 and fattening in their properties. In addition too, they 

 have moftly the very defirahle quality of being fed upon by 

 almoll all forts of live-dock with great avidity ; and it is 

 not by any means to be concluded in confequence of their 

 appearing of a coarfe nature and quality, tiiat they may not 

 be of advantage even as pafture herbage, as it is now well 

 known that clofe, hard, judicious feedmg or eating down is 

 capable of bringing tlie coarfeft and roughcft kinds of her- 

 bage into a fine grady ftate of produce. Of thefe wild plants, 

 that which is ufually known by tiie name of bufli vetch, is 

 a fort which would feem capable of being introduced as a 

 pafture plant with confiderable benefit in different cafes. It 

 is afferted by fome, that its roots fpread much in a lateral 

 manner juft under the furface of the foil of the land, and 

 fend forth numerous ftems or fprouts at the fpring of the 

 year, clofe to each other, which, as they have a broad bulhy 

 top, covered witli many leaves, a clofe pile or furface grafs 

 is formed without the affiltance of any other plant. It is 

 a plant which is not found to rife to any great height of 

 growth ; but from its Ipringiiig up rapidly, after being 

 cut over or cropped and eat off by animals, it would feem 

 not ill fuited to the purpofe of pafturage. On fuch lands 

 as are of the more rich and fertile kind, it, however, grows 

 to a good height for the produftion of hay ; but as the 

 flalks rile fo clofely together, there is fome danger of its 

 rotting at the bottom in moift rainy feafons. It affords 

 great abundance of feed, but which is very liable to be de- 

 Itroycd in the pod by infefts while in th ir vermicular or 

 worm ftate. It is contended by fome, that it would appear 

 to fucceed beft in lands of the clayey kind, where it abounds 

 in foliage pretty much, aifording feeds very fiinilar to thofe 

 of the cultivated plants of this nature. It is ftated too in 

 the Tranfaftious of the Bath Society, tliat it lias been 

 found to flioot earlier in the fpring than any other plant that 

 is eaten by cattle, and to vegetate late in the autumn, con- 

 tihuing green all the winter. In good rich land, when cul- 

 tivated in the drill manner, it may, in the lecond year, it 

 is faid, be cut five times, producing at the rate of twenty- 

 four tons the acre of green food, which would be nearly four 

 and a half tons when dry and made into hay. 



It is noticed, that the principal difficulty in introducing 

 this plant into field culture, would ai-ifc from the feed being 

 fo apt to be devoured by the larvse of a fjjecies of attelobas, 

 as Mr. Svvayne has fully fhewn. 



Another fort of t'lis wild plant which might be ufeful 

 to the farmer in fomewhat the fame way, is that of the 

 kind ufually called the tufted vetch, which, in confequence 

 of its rifiiig to a confiderable height in the ftem, and afford- 

 ing m'lch fohage, is capable of yielding a large propor- 

 tion of green fodder for cattle-ftock ; and from its being 

 cafily cultivated, might alfo be made to afford a great deal 

 of hay. It is therefore equally applicable in paftures and 

 meadows. Plott, in his Hiftory of Staffordftiire, has in- 

 deed long fince remarked it to improve the condition of 

 poor lean cattle, more than any other plant then known. 

 There are probably foine other forts of thefe wild plants that 

 might be ufefuUy grown in the field, if properly attended to 

 by the farmer. 



The cultivated plants of this nature are confidered under 

 their proper heads. See Take. 



Vetch, jixe, Securidaca. See Corosilla. 



Vetch, Bitter or Pea. See Orobus. 



Vetch, Bitter, and Corn Vetch. See Ervum. 



Vetch, Bimliveed-kaiied. See Lathyrus. 



Vetch, Chickling. See Lathyrus. 



Vetch, Grafs. See Grass. 



Vetch, Crimfon-grafs See Lathyrus. 



Vetch, Hatch.t, Securidaca. See CoRONlLLA. 



Vetch, Clujius's Foreign Hatchet. See Biserrula. 



Vetch, Hor/e-Shoe. See Hippocrej>is. 



Vetch, Kidn y See Anthvi.lls. 



This is a plant of the weed kmd, and is common in lands 

 of the chalky and calcareous forts, of which ftieep are very 

 fond. It affords a yeUow dye. 



Vetch, Liquorice, or IVild Liquorice. See Astra- 

 galus. 



Vetch, Knobbed-roottd Liquorice. See Glycine. 



Vetch, Milk. See Astkagai.u.s. 



Vetch, Bajlard Milk. See Phaca. 



Vetch, Venetian. .See Oitonus. 



VETCHLING, in Botany, is the Englifh name of Z,a- 

 thynis Aphaca, expreffive of its diminutive fize. The fame 

 appellation is fometimes given, though improperly, to one 

 or two of the Imalleft fpecies of Vicia. 



Vetchling, Meadow, in Agriculture, a wild plant com- 

 mon in meadow lands, for the cultivation of which a premium 

 has been offered. It bears a large number ot fucculent 

 leaves, and feems well fuited as an addition to the meadow 

 graffes. As it makes good hay, it is probablv the moft 

 ufeful in mixture with graffes for this purpole ; tor though 

 cattle and horfes eat it, they do not feed upon it with avi- 

 dity. It is very prevalent in fome diftridls. 



Vetchling, Yellow. See Ai'haca. 



The feeds of tliis, and of all the other fpecies of vetch- 

 ling, are nutritious, either eaten in broth, or made into 

 bread. Withering. 



VETERAN, Veteranus, in the Roman Militia, a 

 foldier who was grown old in the fervice ; or who had made 

 a certain number of campaigns ; and, on that account, was 

 entitled to certain benelits and privilges. 



Thefe privileges confifted in being .abfolved from the 

 tnilitary oath ; ni being exempted from all the funClions 

 of a foldier ; and in enjoying a certain I'alary or appoint- 

 ment, &c. 



The time of fervice fixed by the Roman laws was from 

 feveiiteen to forty-fix years ; and among the Athenians 

 forty years. The ufe of the term veteran was not intro- 

 duced 



