The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1860-04-24 00:00:00

PRACTICAL AGRICULTURL

LErrso No. X.

OX TR. UTILITY Of THI OAIMPLART; WII•T
IT WEIR FOR FOOD; AND HOW TO GROW • OW?
QUANTITY WITHOCT DINIXURIING TI Nouns OX
ACM ALLOTTICD TO OTRICR CROPS.

To Ike Ediior of Ike Dorset coma, swim
Agricultural (Artate.

Darcluatxr, April Zirrl, IMO.

Sfa,—Your agricultural readers being, 1 pre-
sume, nearly all sheep farmers, I used not tell them
that a crop of rape is inslispensigile as almost every
Asap ifffi, I will proceed at asset. show its
superiority over infiet other milimmis-crope. 1 war
autumn crops, becanes I Wiese it to be the demos
when this plant is most economical as an article of
food; for, although it will generally stand the
winter, and is useful for ewas and lambs in the
spriug, it will lie found to contain much less nourish-
ment at this time than in the months of August,
September, and October ; and its being a good pre-
paration for wheat, will be enough to show that iii.
the most profitable time for feeding it.

The rape-plant has many good qualities, among
which I will mention a rapid growth, great weight
per sere, easy culture, not often beet by dy, suited
to any sad nudes proper insossprossat, and map be
mom at alma& any Wee of the year.
This is a plant whisk bads us phosphates owe
greedily Maw any other, sod will mamas; more for
an outlay in this ihreshon timm perhaps any kerawn
crap; it alai feeds largely on the air, and having •
great steam of leaf exposed to the atmosphere will
account fur its taking more food from this soma
than the tuniip, cabbage, &c., which basalt so much
surface exposed. This is the principle came of its
being a good preparation for wheat. This air feed-
ing of plants should nut be lost sight of, for 4 must
be the cheapest method ut manuring land. The old
plan of manuring from the air was by allowing As
laial to remain fiihlow until it had taken enam#
from the air to enable to it produce a cr,l ; but why
this Inns been the practice foe so many years I can.
not imagine; for the rape-plant would accomplish
this in leas than half the time, and do away with
that detestable and unprufiteble thing called •

, -
Rape feeds very little on ammonia and fatty
matter, which is another reason fur it. being a good
preparation fur wheat; in fact it takes out of the
land very little of that on which corn crops feed.
Now, with regard to the number of acres that
may be grown, -I
would say that any farmer may
have almost as many as he pleases; for there ate
few crops sown nowadays that would be at all in-
jured by Laving a little rape sown amongst them.
Take for instance corn that has to be harrowed in
April, and suppose that 2 lb.. per acre of rape-seed
with 1 cwt. of superphosphate of lime are drilled,
the result will be that as soon as the corn is cut the
rape will begin to grow, and in a few weeks the
stubble will present such an appearance as will be
far more tempting to the sheep the ordinary
way, and the extra keep will more than repay the
expense. Rape may also be sown after vetches on
such land as is intended for wheat. In this case
success will be certain, provided a liberal supply of
superphosphate of good quality be applied it will
come to perfection very early, and may be cleared
in ample time for wheat.
Now, :Sir, I think it will be seen that by sowings
large quantity of rape a remuneration nal follow,
and more nutriment will be supplied to the soil by
this plan than by fallow or any other mode of extract-
ing manure f the air. I will give you another
line on this subject hereafter.