The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-05-15
GROWING RAPE.

Durham Co., N. T..
We quote from Prof. Henry the
following account Of the rape plant.
Prof. Henry is an authority on the
subject and his statements can be
relied upon. He says:
Those unfamiliar with rape can
best best gain an idea of how it looks
and what sort of a feeding substance
it is by remembering that forage
rape resembles a rutabaga turnip
run to leaf instead Of forming any
enlarged root stalk. Nature has
arranged that during the first season
of growth the nutriment is stored in
the leaves; during the second year
in mild climates where the plants
survive the winter, it's nutriment
passes out of the leaves and up into
the seed pods, where seeds are formed.
Rape is a hardy plant and can be
sOwn any time from very early spring
until after harvest, according to the
wants of the stOckman. To get the
largest and most nutritious crops, it
should be sown in drills and cult
waited the same as a root crop-with
this important exception, however,
no thinning is required. Where
drilled, SOW from two to three pounds
of seed per acre. Rape may also be
sOwn broadcast upon well-prepared
land, in which case it should be COW
cred lightly with a fine tooth drag
or a brush harrow. When broad
casted, from four to five pounds of
seed should be used per acre.
Some farmers have received salts
factory returns by sowing rape seed
on a field planted with oats or bar
ley In this case the best method of
procedure is as follows: A week or
ten day after >tAe oats or barley
have been sOwn, and just after the
young plants have shown above the
surface of the soil, SOW two or three
pounds of rape seed per acre harrow
this in with light, fine tooth drag.
Covering the seed in this manner
does not injure the young oat or
barley plants, but IS help rather
than otherwise. By sowing later
than the Oat or barley seeding, the
young rape plants are held in check
and do not make much growth until
after the main crop is harvested.
Then having the benefits of full sun
shine and all available moisture, the
young plants spring forth rapidly
and soon furnish a large amount of
feed. Farmers who have sOwn rape
seed along with oats or barley have
found to their sorrow that in wet
seasons the rape plants grow us tall
as the grain and furnish so much
green material as to make trouble in
harvesting the grain. The later
seeding Of rape with grain is there
fore to be recommended as the prefer
able practice.
In sections of the country where
the seasons are fairly long, stubble
fields may be plowed up and sOwed
to rape, and great deal Of forage
secured before winter sets in. No
matter how the seed may be sOwn,
the hardy plants spring up quickly
and during the early growth one can
not tell them from rutabaga or
Swede turnips. When they reach a
height of eight or ten inches they
can be pastured by any kind of stock.
Rape is most suitable for sheep, with
pigs coming second. Of course, the
young plants are quite watery; as
they grow older the nutriment is
more condensed and satisfactory.
So far as known to the writer the
only insect pest attacking the rape
plant is a louise which severely in
lures it in hot dry weather. This
pest is sometimes avoided by plant
ing the rape either very early or
very late.
Care must be taken to order forage
rape, for many mistakes have been
made by seedsmen who have fur
nished oil seed or bird seed rape in
stead. These latter varieties furnish
plants which blossom about eight
weeks after the seed is sown. A field
of bird seed rape in bloom resembles
a field of wild mustard, the yellow
blossoms being visible from a long
distance. The true forage rape does
not blossom the same season the
seed is sown, but bears its blossom