September 8. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
difficult to put in force, until, by repeated treading, 
the ground becomes more solid. Of course, this con¬ 
solidation must bo effected when it is tolerably dry, 
otherwise the injury done in another way will be 
equal to the benefits expected. Where a choice can be 
made, dry sandy soil is the best for such crops-; but, 
ordinarily, they will endurej most of our winters in 
the common garden soil of districts on a stiff, retentive 
loam, and we are not quite sure but the latter descrip¬ 
tion of soil suits them best in summer; and if they can 
be saved through the winter, such a soil will produce 
the best heads in spring, too, if everything else bo 
favourable for their well-being. 
Many things will now require a little assistance to 
enable them to perfect their growth this season, as 
Tomatoes, Capsicums, and other tender sweet herbs. In 
the first-named, close pruning-in, and limiting the 
number of fruit, will hasten the perfection of what 
remains. The same may be said of Capsicums, which 
may be induced to ripen faster, by part of the foliage 
being removed, &c. J. Robson. 
CULTIVATION OF TARES. 
Tares, or Vetches, are of two kinds—Winter and 
Summer—the former being usually sown in the autumn, 
and the latter in the spring. There are also two varieties 
of the Winter Tare, one coming to feed early, the other 
late. This crop furnishes a very important and useful 
produce of green food, and, in the economy of farming, 
it is desirable that the cultivation of Tares should re¬ 
ceive its due share of attention, for in many parts of the 
country it is the most valuable green crop with which 
we are acquainted, being available as food for sheep as 
well as for the soiling of cattle, when sown in succes¬ 
sion, during the whole of the summer months. 
It is desirable, in selecting land for sowing Tares, to 
take that which is clean and free from couch grass, for 
it rarely happens that sufficient time can be had, or that 
the weather is favourable for clearing the land, after the 
crop has been fed or removed, to be followed by a crop 
of Turnips. 
It is, however, seldom that all the land intended to be 
appropriated to this crop can be found quite clean; it is, 
therefore, necessary, when the land is foul, that a course 
of tillage should be commenced before sowing the seed. 
To effect this, I recommend to begin as soon as possible 
after harvest, and rafter, or half-plough the land, rather 
shallow, then scarify across the ploughing, which pro¬ 
cess will move all the surface, and lay the land light 
and loose, and in a favourable state (supposing the 
weather to be dry) for the drags, harrows, &c., to work 
out the grass and weeds, to be collected upon the sur¬ 
face, in order that they may be burnt or carted away 
from the land. 
Then plough the land a good depth, into ridges of 
such size as the nature of the soil may require; for this 
crop, when sown in the autumn, is very liable to be in¬ 
jured by the alternate action of the heavy rains and 
frost; it is, therefore, highly necessary that the land, 
should lie as dry as ridges can make it, taking care, at 
the same time, that a sufficiency of water-furrows be 
made for the purpose of removing the water from the 
ridges. The best time for sowing both the varieties of 
447 
Winter Tare is the first week in September, although in 
some seasons, upon a dry soil in good condition, they 
come on and give a fair produce when sown as late as 
the month of November; but in this case the crop is 
much more uncertain, being liable to be carried off by 
the slug, or damaged by frost. 
From two to three bushels of seed per acre will be 
sufficient for an acre; the latter quantity is preferable if 
sown rather late, and it is a good plan to sow about 
three or four gallons of Oats or Winter Barley mixed 
with them, or, in case of the early sort, the like quantity 
of Rye. The advantage of this mixture will be found 
at the time of feeding or cutting, as well as during the 
period of growth. The flag of the Oats, or other grain 
sown amongst them, shelters the Tares from the effect 
of frost, and at the time of using the produce, either for 
feeding sheep or the soiling of cattle, a much larger 
portion of the crop will be available, the strong stalks 
of the corn holding up the Tares, and preventing the 
bottom part of the haulm becoming partially decayed. 
To this result it is very liable on good land, in a favour¬ 
able season—in which case it becomes quite useless as 
food for cattle, and when cut for soiling the whole crop 
is unpalatable. Tares are usually sown broadcast; it is, 
however, a good plan to drill the seed at about seven or 
eight inches space between the drills, and this method 
is more in use than formerly, as it gives an opportunity, 
in some seasons, to use the hoe, and destroy Charlock, 
and other weeds which often infest this crop. 
Formerly, manure used generally to be applied to the 
land previously to sowing Tares, in order that an abund¬ 
ant crop may be obtained, and that when followed by 
Turnips it may prevent the necessity of applying ma¬ 
nure at the busy period of Turnip-sowing. It is, however, 
now only needful to apply manure where the land is too 
poor to bear a good crop; for, after the land is free of the 
Tare crop, any amount of artificial manure requisite 
may be applied with the Turnip-seed, without the de¬ 
lay consequent upon the application of yard or town 
manure. 
Previously to the introduction of artificial manures, 
and the use of the Turnip drill, Tares were not con¬ 
sidered a good preparation for a Turnip crop upon 
some soils; for when Turnips were sown broadcast, 
after a crop of Tares fed by sheep, and without other 
manure, although the land might be rich enough to 
produce a crop, yet the young Turnip-plant does not 
thrive well upon the generality of soils, and it often 
became a prey to the grub, wireworm, &c. This is, 
however, now become an almost obsolete practice, and 
is only mentioned here to caution cultivators against 
the use of anything except artificial manures. 
The method of consuming the crop varies, and should 
depend, in a great measure, upon the rotation intended. 
When the object is to grow Turnips after the Tares, the 
crop should be fed whilst young, in oi-der that the land 
may be left with a clean surface; or, in case of being cut 
for cattle, the whole of the haulm should be taken away, 
it being injurious to the Turnip crop when any portion 
is turned down and buried with the plough. 
