The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-07-17

W1Gn QecOmpOSoQ vegetable maGGer,
is the very best for this crop.
In case the soil has been in corn
or tobacco the preparation required
to get rid of the stubble will be all
that is necessary in making it ready
to receive the rape seed, which
should be planted in this section of
the country during the last half of
September or early in October. If
the soil has been laying idle or in
some sown crop during the past year,
it should be plowed in August, rather
deep. If farm yard manure is to be
used it should be scattered over the
plowed ground and worked in we'll
with cultivator or harrow. Be care
full to have the soil in good condi-
ton, we'll plowed and worked down
smooth and even, before the seed are
planted.
If land is limited and a large
amount of forage is desired best re-
suits will be had by planting in rows
about two feet apart, with the seed
sown so there will be at least two
plants for every inch of row. The
seed may be sown by hand, scatter
ing them along the shallow furrow,
and covered with light rake. From
two and half to three pounds of
seed will be required for an acre
when planted in rows.
Cultivation should be given as
soon as enough of the plants are up
to show the row and continue at in
tervals of every ten days or two
weeks, until the leaves meet between
the rows. Three civilizations will
usually be all that is required. A
fine pointed cultivator, with the
points set to run not more than three
inches deep, will give better salts
faction than a larger plow or one
running deeper
Where land is abundant it is often
advisable to SOW the seed broadcast,
using from five to six pounds of seed
to the acre. If the sowing is made
on very loose soil, just before hard
rain, it will not be necessary to cover
by artificial means, but if the soil is
at all hard or not thoroughly pre-
pared, it will be best to cover by
dragging a heavy brush or light
harrow over the seed. When the
seed is sown broadcast no after cul
tivatiOn is needed, in fact none can
be given.
Grazing or cutting should begin as
soon as the plants are from six to
eight inches high and covering the
ground fully. Stock may be allowed
to roam over the entire field to eat
where they desire, but more forage
will be got from the crop if the an
imals are confined to a part Of the
field until all the leaves are eaten off
back to the main stalks, then
changed to a fresh plat until the
first has time to grow out again. To
carry on the work in this manner
one section should be grazed only a
few days after which it should rest
five or six weeks, or until the new
growth is nearly as large as the first
was when grazing began. In this
manner one field may be grazed off
four or five times during the season.
An acre of good fertile soil should
furnish grazing enough for from five
to ten average sized sheep or hogs,
weighing from fifty to one hundred
pounds each.
Rape remained green in our fields
here during the most severe weather
of the past two winters and starts a
rapid growth whenever a few warm
days come. Of the many varieties
offered by some seed men, the
Dwarf, Essex and Victoria are the
only two worthy of cultivation.
For best development the growing
animal requires about one pound of
muscle and lean meat makers to five
or six of heat and fat producers.
Corn contains only one of the former
to about nine of the latter while rape
has one of the former to three of the
latter, from which it appears that
neither one alone makes a perfect
food but the two taken together with
some pea vine or clover hay, and for
mich COWS some cotton seed meal,
will make what is known as prop
erIy balanced ration.
A few words of caution now to the
prospective grower of this forage