The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1912-07-25
GROWING RAPE.
Reply te Nathan Ringer, Grover
Hill. Ohio.

milch COWS, and what time is best to
SOW? How are soy beans for cattle,
and what is the time to SOW here?
Would like to know II alfalfa makes
good pasture II sowed for mich cows,
az the clover is all frozen out here this
spring"
Rape 10 best adapted to cool eli
mates. but still does exceptionally we'll
in very wide range of latitude. 1t
has been grown successfully in parts
Of Mississippi. and all the way north
into Canada. II does best and de-
velops the most rapidly on rich, moist,
loamy soils, although 1t will do fairly
well on light, sandy soils II they are in
good state of cultivation. Rape is a
very heavy feeder, and requires a great
deal of moisture. II also utilities
considerable amout of nitrogen as
well as mineral plant food elements.
1t requires practically the same plant
feed as corn. in very nearly the same
proportions, and for this reason corn
does not do so well following rape as
some other crops. for instance, wheat.
The soil should be prepared in much
the same way as for corn; In other
words, It should be in a good state OF
cultivation before planting the rape.
There are several ways Of planting
this crop, depending upon conditions.
Some farmers prefer to drill II in rows
| 81 tp nj
generally followed, but gives very good
satisfaction. The usual method is to
SOW broadcast some time along from
the first OF May to the middle OF July,
either on land specially prepared, on
land following an early crop, or in th'
growing corn field The usual amount
Of seed required per acre varies from
! four to five pounds.
Under favorable conditions, rape is
ready for pasture from fifty to seventy
days after sowing. We have known
Of instances where II would AFFORD
good pasture six weeks after planting
but this Is unusual.
Rape has a very high feeding value,
and is considered an excellent feed for
fattening sheep and swine. IL greatly
increases the flow of milk from milch
cows. Some farmers object to 1t be-
cause they claim 1t taints the milk.
To overcome this objection. It is well
to feed rape after milking. II is a
very valuable feed for other stock,
Sheep and hogs are usually better than
other kinds of stock for pasturing on
rape. The best way to feed cattle and
horses is to use rape as soiling
crop.
In several states they have expert
mented with mixing rape with oats or
wheat, and have succeeded very well
In Iowa a pound of rape was sowed
per acre about ten days after seeding
the oats. The rape interfered &c
some extent in harvesting the oats
but probably would not have caused
any trouble II 1t had been sowed three
weeks after the oats were planted. II
the land is very poor, 1t probably
would be best to SOW the rape witt
the small grain.
Speaking of the use Of soy beans
will say that this crop Is grown very
successfully in parts of Ohio, and ranks
very close to clovers and alfalfa fo
hay. The variety known as medium
green will mature seed In from ninetl
TO one hundred days, and is considered
about the best variety for most local.
ties. The Ito San is quicker matrr
ing variety than the medium gre"n
but does not produce quite as mucl
forage to the acre nor quite as man,
peas under the same conditions
Among the other varieties are tn
medium yellow and the medium
early black, but these are not as gen
orally grown as the ones mentione
above.
If you expect to grow soy beans 10
s seed, the best success can be obtaine
4 by drilling in rows from twenty-eigh
e TO thirty inches apart. This will re
|. ouire about half bushel Of seed
}. the acre; when drilled twenty-fou
e inches apart, three-quarters Of
d bushel of seed; and, when drilled wit
the ordinary grain drill, seven or eigt
y inches apart. II will require about NV
s bushels of seed TO the acre. Whe
J. drilled as close as seven or eigf
y inches the hay produced is OF bette
o quality, not being so coarse as whe
l. the rows are wider. From the stanC
Q point OF the production of forag
there is not great deal of differenC
J. in the Weld per acre, whether Il
i rows are drilled eight inches apart {
y tvr 7tv-four.
i There may be some trouble in Gu
Ing coy been bay. but II the wealth.
. conditions are favorable, there nee
be no less while curing, Soy beans |
. crop do very we'll in ordinary soil
= but will respond much better II Il
. seed bed is thoroughly prepared. TIL
y plant is a shallow feeder, and thus W
q do better In fields that hc"o be'
= thoroughly cultivated THAI IL "
= under ordinary conditions.
: Speaking Of alfalfa for pasture, W
say that alfalfa sowed this spriI
!, should not be pastured before at lea
yaar frn,,, THE stvf, mar and ny