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SELECT PLANTS READILY ELIGIBLE 



Vicia silvatica, Linne. 



Europe, North Asia. The Wood-Yetch. Perennial. Ke- 

 commendable to culturists settling in new forest-land, avail- 

 able also for our alpine copses. Pasture animals have a 

 predilection for this Vetch; its yield is large. In limestone 

 soil of forests Y. pisiformis and Y. dumetorum (Linn^) can 

 best be selected for introduction. 



Vicia Sitchensis, Bongard. 



From California to Sitka. Asa Gray remarks that the young 

 seeds of this tall Vetch are eatable like green peas. 



Vicia tetrasperma, Koch. (Ervum tetraspermum, Linne.) 



The Lentil-Tare. Europe, West Asia, North Africa. An- 

 nual. According to Langetlial this species is preferable to 

 the ordinary Tare for sandy soil. It is also less hard as 

 fodder, and very palatable. Lime in the sand enlarges the 

 yield. Y. monantha and Y. hirsuta (Koch) serve nearly 

 as well. 



Vigna lanceolata, Bentham. 



Tropical and sub-tropical Australia. Mr. O'Shanesy observes 

 that this twiner produces, along with the ordinary cylin- 

 drical pods, others underground from buried flowers, and 

 these somewhat resemble the fruit of Arachis. The plant is 

 available for culinary purposes. 



Vigna Sinensis, Endlicher.* (Dolichos Sinensis, Linne.) 



Tropical Asia and Africa. The cultivation of this twining 

 annual Pulse-herb extends to Southern Europe and many 

 other countries with a clime like ours. The pods are remark- 

 able for their great length, and used like French Beans. 

 Vigna Catjang (A. Bich) and Vigna sesquipedalis and V. 

 melanophthalma are varieties of this species. In fair soil 

 the produce is fortyfold. 



Villebrunia integrifolia, Gaudichaud. 



India, ascending the Himalayan mountains to 5,000 feet. A 

 small tree, allied to the Bami-plant, Boehmeria nivea. Mr. 

 C. B. Clarke regards the fibre as one of the strongest 

 available in India, it being used for bow-strings. Other 

 Villebrunias, for instance Y. frutescens, and also some 

 species of Debregeasia, particularly D. velutina, deserve 

 likewise regular culture, for the sake of their fibre. Moist 

 forest-tracts seem particularly adapted for these plants, 

 because Y. integrifolia grows in Sikkim at an elevation 

 where, according to Dr. G. King, the rainfall ranges from 100 

 to 200 inches. This fibre is much more easily separable than 

 that of Maoutia Puya, according to Dr. King's observations. 



