Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1892-10-21
The Varieties Of Rape.
LIVE STOCK REPORT.


same summer after being sown, while
others do not produce it until the fol-
lowing year. They all belong to the
cruciferous genus Brassica, the parent
form of all Of them being apparently
| a wild plant known to naturaiistS as
| Brassica Campestris. 1t is generally
assumed that the different varieties OF
the turnip have sprung from the same
: stock.
Tie variety grown in this country
for years past has been sold by the
seedsnen as the Dwarf Essex, OF Eng
lish rape. 1t is frequently SoWn in
England in the summer, where it is
paStured off by sheep, and a crop of
seed is also taken from it the follow
ing year There is no doubt but that
it could be treated in this country IL
the same way, but for the severity Of
our winters in Northerly attitudes.
We have grown three varieties at
our station the present year by way
of experiment The first of these, the
| Dwarf Essex, as stated in a previous
article, is the only variety hitherto
grown in this country as a pasture for
live stock 1t produces a large amount
of foliage, the leaves extending in
every direction until the ground is com
Dlctely hidden where a good growth
is secured. The proportion of the stem
! to the leaves is not nearly so great as
/ in the other varieties In average
soils, and without undue stimulation,
the normal height which it attains
| x1,I,p1 in drill
is from Is inches to a inches. But in
luminous soils, virgin in character, it
j, will sometimes reach the height Of
three to four feet when grown broad
cast There should be no sign of any
! blossom the year that it is SoWn, even
| when put in early III the season. W"
sowed one plot early in the spring.
It grew vigorously for time, but in
! the hot weather Of midsummer many
Of the leaves became crisp and dead.
I These plants are now revivlng under
! the influence OF the autumnal rains,
but there is no sign Of blossom upon
it. This confirms previous experience
in growing in this locality, hence my
inference that in the Northern range
/. of the border states of the West it
should not be sown until about the
first of July.
The second variety we purchased
under the name Of DrOadleaf Dwarf
Essex. 1t could not easily be distinS-
uished from the Dwarf Essex deScrib
cd above during the first weeks OF its
growth, but soon it pushed Oh upward
and began to blossom within six to
eight weeks Of the time Of sowing it.
1t grew from two to three feet in
height with Us, threw OEt MANY
! branches Of an upright habit of
growth, and produced Il large number
of seed pods Of greater size than the
pods of the wild mustard plant. Right
ly or wrongly named, this is the variety
| which has been SO extensively SOWn
on this continent during the present
season. The unfortunate feature lies
! i'll the fact that many of those who
sowed it did so by way of trial, and
! are therefore liable to conclude that
! rape as u food for sheep and lambs is
fraud.
Several of the seedsmen Of both the
| United States and Canada appear tn
I
! in England the present year. A large
number of farmers i'll this neighbOr-
hood have sown this variety, and we
have many acres Of it growing on our
! farm here. We regard it as of but
! little value for pasture, us the ener
! gies of the plant are too soon diverted
to the production of woody stalk and
| seed. The proportion of the leaf
/. growth is entirely too little. But SO
far rs the animals will eat it we can
!, see no harm in paStluing it. We are
pasturing ours and will turn it under
! before the seeds mature, lest they
should become troublesome in the crop
next year. Because of our limited eX
perience with this variety of rape, we
are not able to say whether the seed
could be devoted to any good purpose,
nor are we quite sure as yet that the
seed VIII ripe1 and perfect sufficiently
to make it a paying crop for the seed
only. There is room for experiment
here, but the safer plan for the far
mer, this year is not to allow the plants
to seed 1T all.
The third variety grown in our eN-
| pertinent was purchased under the
name of German or Summer Rape
This variety is known as birdrape.
and not the former, as my good
friend Professor Craig supposes in his
article recently published III the Breed
er'S Gazette. 1t differs from the for
mer in its maturing more early, in the
! wider extension of its branches, in the
less height to which it attains and in
the smaller size of the seed pods and
of the seeds. The seed is reddish
brown in color. While that of the
Broadleaf Dwarf Essex is nearly black.
This variety also is of but little value
for pasture.
The serious mistake of the past sea-
Son in sowing the Broadleaf Dwarf
/ Essex rather than the Dwarf Essex
| must not be repeated. We will take
steps to protect the farmers in future
at this station. and in the following
manner: We will suggest to our lead
ing seedSmen the propriety of laying
III Il supply of seed sufficiently early
TO have it proved by them and by us
before it will be distributed among
the farmers. This is perhaps the best
! that can be done in the meantime
But the mistake of the present year
will also bring up the question of grow
Ing seed On this continent. IN Souther-
~ ATTITUDES it can be Sown in all pro-
! liability where the winters are mild.