The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1904-10-20
NOTES..
SOUTHERN e: FARM :
opics OF INTEREST TO 7HEPTER STocxMAHAX0 TRUCK GcweR
bod:

acre VIII pFouuce any VI ueES ihohn %1V
to $50 worth of seed. But the stalks
and leaves are also valuable as food
or for use as manure.
Rape is most generally grown for
pasture or forage crop. 1t grows
very rapidly and yields enormously.
All stock are fond Of it. 1t stands
pasturage well. Sheep are especially
fond of rape. If well fertilized the
growth is very persistent. Potash Is
the chief element in any fertilizer mix
ture for rape. 1t gives health and
vigor to the plants, increasing the
quantity of food when, pastgred: or
used as a forage. When grown for
seed the potash greatly increases the
quantity and quality Of the seed.
The land for rape should be we'll
prepared. 1t can be grown in rows
and cultivated or sown broadcast.
Rape IL Of two varieties, annual and
biennial. The biennial should" be
sown in the summer or fall and the
annual in the spring. There Is also
a large and dwarf variety.
Sown in September or October #
gives excellent winter pasture. Horses,
COWS and hogs can all be turned on it
at the same time. If not eaten too
closely before they are taken of, It
will make a second growth. In some
countries it is grown to be turned
under as q green manure.
The growth is so abundant that 1t
is thought to exhaust the land II per-
mitted to mature seed. Hence some
have written prohibition clauses In
their rent contracts specifying that
rape shall not be grown upon the land.
We do not sympathize with this idea.
There is no danger of injurins the soil
by growing crops il the farming is
done OH the right plan.
/ We think this valuable crop deserves
much more attention Than We have
been giving it. This is especially true
OF all that part Of the country where
winter pastures and forage are wanted.
We advise our farmers to try it. Pre-
pare piece Of ground we'll and fer
! til.Ze it literally with KANT or muriate
of potash and cover the seed lightly
and you will be apt to get good
stand.
When drilled, about four to six
pounds Of seed will be enough for IN
acre. If broadcast you will need more;
sosre use as mrch as q peek. The
sacGsmcl generally keep tie seed on
hand. The Dwarf Essex is said to be
an excellent variety FOR the South.
A crop having so wide range OF
usefulness should receive much more
attention than we have been giving
to rape. This will be emphatically
, true rs we develop the possibilities Of
cattle growing as one OF the. profitable
features of American agriculture. Any
plant that has such a high feeding
valve and can be easily SrowD, will
be helpful to the inexperienced cattle
feeder.
We need not be disturbed by the
English iGea that it eEhausss the soil
to grow a seed crop Of rape. We need
not grow seed. Or, If We do, we can
easily replace the potash removed in
the seed by using literally mur:ate Of
potash or kainit. Modern farming
with this great help at hand can do
! many things that were not thought
best in former times.-Southera Guilt
yator. AZ
vii Acid Phnsph,te iure CVov"rf
G. W. w. writes: "Nh?t would be
the effect of sowing acid phosphate
Oh Cover Instead Of lanl plaster?
Would there be anything il tho acid
phosphate to injure the Clover when
sown after it is up and growing? Peo-
pie here claim the benefit from plas-
ter Is due to what sticks to the leaves.
Is this so? With acid phosphate at S14
and land plaster at SIS, which would
be the most profitable to apply:"
There is every reason to commend
the use Of acid phosphate IS an appli-
cation for clover in preference to land
plaster, for acid phosphate contains
about fifty per cent. OF land plaster or
gypsum. There is absolutely nothing
in acid phosphate to in;ure the clover
and It would likely prove beneficial
to It, as our soils are frequently de-
fcient in acid phosphate, an element
which has to Go particularly with the
formation of the fruit and seed. It
was formerly thought that the benefit
from plaster was due to it's sticking
to the leaves and SO closing up the
pores of the plant, as 1t were, and
helping II to retain sufficient moisture
to tide over drought periods. This is
now known not to be the case. GJp-
SIM, or land plaster, probably acts
on the potash of the soil and helps
to set supplies of it free and also tends
to attract moisture to some extent.
Acid phosphate at 81 ton. IL 1t
shows from fourteen to. sixteen per
cent. available phosplor;c acid, Is
much cheaper than land plaster at SIS.