Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1901-04-17
Directions for Growing and Feeding
the Rape Crop.
BY w. A. HENRY

Director Agricultural Experiment Station
Madison, Wis.
Be sure to order dwarf essex for
age rape. If one asks for "rape seed"
he may get bird seed rape, which is
of no value for forage purposes.
Many such mistakes have been made.
Rape seed closely resembles turnip
seed in appearance. The seed costs
but little and can be obtained from
any scotsman.
SEEDING WITH GRAIN.
Rape may be sown with oats, barley
or winter rye.
| Seeding with Rye.--If sown with
winter rye, harrow the rye field in
early spring and SOW about two pounds
of rape seed per acre, narrowing
| lightly again after the seed has been
sown. Such narrowing will usually
| be helpful to the rye crop.
Seeding with Oats or Barley. Rape
seed can be sown along with oats or
barley, but if this is done the growth
of rape is liable to become so rank,
especially if the season is a wet one.
that the plants will grow as tall as
the oats Or barley. When this hap
pens trouble occurs at harvest time
owing to The green rape plants being
cut and bound in the Oat or barley
sheaves, causing them to rot under
the bands.
1t is best then to sow rape seed
later than the grain is sOwn SO that
the rape will not grow 80 rapidly.
Eight or nine days after sowing the
oats or barley, or when the young
grain plants arc three or four inches
high, run slant-tooth harrow over
the field to loosen the soil. Then
seed two or three pounds of rape and
harrow lightly again. By seeding in
this way the grain crop has so much
the start of the rape plants that the
latter are kept small and spindling
until the grain is harvested. After
harvest the rape plants getting the
benefits of sun and moisture begin to
grow, and in a good season the 6e' d
will soon be covered with green for
age, which can be fed of as usual.
GROWING RAPE ALONE.
Broad cast Seeding. Rape seed can
be sown broadcast any time from
April until August. For broad cast
seeding prepare the land as for oats
and SOW or pounds Of seed per
acre and harrow it lightly. Land on
which rape is sown broadcast should
be comparatively free from weed seeds
and in good condition generally.
Drilling. best crop can be 80
cured by growing the rape in drills,
though this way is somewhat more
expensive. Sow or pounds Of
seed per acre in drills wide enough
to cultivate, planting just as one does
for beets or rutabaga turnips Rape
plants do not need to be thinned like
| rutabagas or beets, but will grow
thick in the row. About two cultiva-
tions are needed, by which time the
rape plants will SO shade the ground
that weeds cannot grow.
Feeding of Rape.-The rape plant
resembles a rutabaga run to top.
Rape is ready for feeding from eight
to ten weeks after seeding or when
the plants are fifteen inches high. aud
remains useful several weeks. After
the leaves are once eaten off, il the
weather is still warm, the plants will
start new leaves, thus furnishing a
| second and even third crop. The
nourishment Of the rape plant is in
the stems and leaves. Rape is highly
| relished by sheep, cattle and swine.
Generally rape taints milk so that it
cannot be used for dairy cows, al
| though some dairymen have used 1t
successfully. Il cannot be cured into
hay or used in the silo; but must be
fed off in the field or cut and car ried
to stable or feed lot. Rape is ordin-
arily utilized by turning steers, young
cattle. sheep or swine into the field
where it grows and letting them feed
on the crop at pleasure. Stock being
fed 90 rape should get grain addition
| al if they are expected to fatten RAJ
pidly. ~
Precaution.-Cattle or sheep should
never be turned into the rape field for
the first time when hungry or when
the dew is on the plants. Fill up the
cattle or sheep with feed and then
turn into rape field on dry day after
the dew is off Bloating may occur
if these conditions are not followed.
Conclusion. The rape crop was
first prominently brought to the at
tention Of Wisconsin farmers through
the Wisconsin Agricultural Expert
ment station, which has grown the
crop continuously since 1891. Our
station learned of it's use through the
| Ontario Agricultural college, Canada.
Rape is now extensively grown in
Wisconsin and it's use is rapidly
spreading. 1t does not take the place
of any other crop, but is simply one
more of value to the farm