The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-03-20
TRRM Yan4%
s[ssntEEEDpR
yasAGAKpEN
THE RAPE PLANT.
Popular Ways of Sowing 1t In vnri'
GUS Regions-Its Feeding Value.

Popular Ways of Sowing 1t In vnri-
GUS Regions-Its Feeding Value.
Concerning dwarf Essex rape, n
of the most valuable snd popular for
age plants introduced into the United
States in the last quarter of a century.
Thomas Shaw of the Minnesota uni
versity says in Ohio Farmer: 1t is
probably true that half a million acres
were sown in the United States last
summer-that is to say, enough to fat
ten 100000 head Of sheep and lambs.
and yet the plant has not been before
the general public in this country for
more than one decade.
1t is one of the hardest of plants.
1t is not easily injured by drought or
wet, by heat or cold although it en-
dures heat less well han cold, and it
has but few enemies. The cabbage
worm and the white or green aphis
would seem to be about the only enc
mics that prey upon it. 1t will grow
on any kind Of soil that is good and at
all friable, but the richer the land the
better it will grow. 1t has a peculiar
adaptation for rich muck lands so filed
with humus as to be too rich for pro-
ducing good yields of grain. Usually
the more highly ordinary lands are en-
riched for growing rape the larger will
be the yields.
Rape can be sown any time from the
opening of spring until the end of July
In the northern and middle states, and
in the south it may be sown later. 1t
usually reaches a maximum of growth
in rs to 80 days from the date of SOW
ing. 1t yields from 10 to 20 tons of
food much richer than clover and even
more palatable, and al average crop
will sustain from 10 to Is head of
sheep or lambs for 60 days. 1t may be
sown on land specially prepared for it,
or it may be grown as a catch crop
after winter rye has been eaten down,
after clover has been pastured or
mown and in many instances after
grain crops have been harvested.
"A favorite way of sowing it on prai-
seed with every two bushels of grain
sown. The seed is then deposited with
the drill. Unless in abnormally wet
seasons the rape does not harm the
grain, and after the latter is cut ii
springs up like magic after harvest
and covers the land with the best of
sheep pastures.
On soils with much clay in them it is
usually better to SOW in rows about "a
~ - On f,oGD, n :, 0,,+ ~ n 20 o,,l@;,0+1 +hr
crop. On black soils and on ordinary
prairie soils in the Mississippi basin
this is not usually necessary. The seeC
is sown broadcast at the rate of three
to five pounds per acre and is covered
with, the harrow. But in the dry ani
semiarid regions it is better in nearly
all instances to put it in more deeply
than broadcasting would deposit it.
1t makes excellent pasture for sheep
swine. cattle and horses and has adap
tation in providing pasture for them IL
the order named. 1t is equally adapted
to soiling uses for these classes of liv,
stock. There is probably no bette,
green food for fowls. but it cannot b.
cured for winter use. The importan
precaution in grazing it down is no
to allow the animals to feed upon it a
will when they are very hungry, as
like clover, it may produce bloat. TIL
seed cannot be profitably grown il
northern ATTITUDES. but it may south
ward and also in the extreme west
The Dwarf EsseX variety, about tn
only one that should be sown, grow
into seed the next season after plant
inc III