The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1909-04-21
CATCH CROPS.
Furnished by the Minnesota Farmers
Institutes, St. Anthony Park.

The term catch crop" is used for
any crop grown that is not regularly |
planned for a certain field, that is, it
is put in where another crop has
failed or after another crop has
been removed from the land Millet |
sown where a corn or other grain
crop has failed or rape sown with
grain crop or after grain crop, or
in corn at the last cultivation to
furnish fall feed, is catch crop"
There are three great advantages
in catch crops and reasons why their
use should be extended: first. they
furnish very cheap feed; second.
they grow in place of weeds; third,
they improve the condition of the
soil by adding vegetable matter, es-
pecialy if pastured off or plowed
under.
RAPE.
Of all these crops rape is probably
the best, as the seed is very cheap,
it grows quickly and furnishes ex-
cellent pasture for all animals with
the possible exception of mich cows.
Rape makes a good growth for
pasture in about six weeks after
soWn. if soWn alone. 1t may be
sown successfully with grain crops
when they are soWn or shortly after
ward. When sown in this way it is
used for fall pasture The seed costs
but about Is cents per acre, hence
furnishes very cheap pasturage.
RAPE AND CLOVER IN GRAIN.
Mr.. Chas. Nelson of Meeker Co.,
Mimi, sowed rape and clover in 60
acres of grain in the spring of 1907,
and that fall pastured his herd of 20
COWS two months on this field. get
ting from the creamery 1925 in
cream checks for the two months,
which brought him over three dol
lars per acre from his field after
getting the regular grain crop. The
crop took the place of weeds. The
whole of the crop was left on the
field. While growing after harvest
it used the available plant food in
the soil which otherwise would have
been largely lost by teaching, and
thus left this plant food in the soil
in the form of vegetable matter that
will be easily broken down next year
and while being broken down or rot
ting it will help to liberate the min
eral plant food locked in the soil.
Such a crop adds considerable to the
income from the field the year it is
grown and leaves the soil in better
condition for crops in succeeding
years.
RAPE AS FALL FEED FOR SHEEP.
Mr.. G. w. Hale. a large farmer of
Fillmore county. sows several humid
red acres Of rape each year with his
grain crops. In the fall he buys
several carloads of sheep to eat off
this crop and reports that he gets
from 30 cents to SIS per acre extra
each year after getting his regular
crop of corn or grain. This certain
ly is an advantage over getting moth
ing for the stubble fields and allow
ing them to produce weeds seeds.
When land is very rich there is
some danger that the rape may
grow too large in the grain and
cause trouble in harvesting and cur
ing the crop. In such cases it is we'll
to SOW the rape after the grain is up,
thus giving the grain a considerable
start. The rape may be scattered
in the field any convenient way, as
by hand or with hand broadcast
seeder. 1t may be scratched in with
a weeder or left until a rain comes
which will start it. When it is
sown at the same time as the grain
crop, it of course is mixed with the
grain, and in such cases there is no
cost for sowing. A. D. WILSON.