The Holt County sentinel., 1912-07-12
GROWING RAPE.
Reply to Nathan Ringer, Grover
Hill, Ohio.

SOW? How are soy beans for cattle.
and what Is the time to SOW here?
Would like to know IL alfalfa makes a
good pasture II sowed for mich COWS.
as the clover Is all frozen on, here this
spring"
Rape Ii best adapted to cool ELL
mates. bnt still does exceptionally we'll
In very wide range Of latitude. Il
has been grown successfully In parts
OF Mississippi. and all the way north
into Canada. II does best and de-
veiops the most rapidly on rich. moist.
loamy soils. although II will do fairly
we'll on light. sandy soils u they are In
good state Of cultivation. Rape il a
very heavy feeder, and requires q great
deal Of moisture. II also utilities a
considerable amout OF nitrogen a.
we'll as mineral plant food elements.
II Requires practically the same plant
feed as corn, In very nearly the same
proportions. and for this reason corn
does not do M well following rape as
hvutV o'hV'I NfOBS. Ivt tuSNbu'F. WUtdt.
The soil should be prepared In much
the same way a. for corn: In other
words. II should he 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
and cultivate II. This method Is no,
oanaeull,. f.,tI. t.,.s
satisfaction. The usual method IL 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 tho
growing corn field The usual amount
~ seed required per acre varies from
four to Ave pounds
Under favorable conditions. rape IL
ready for pasture from ATTY tn seventy
days after sowing We have known
~ Instances where II would afford
good pasture six weeks after planting
hut this Is unusual
Rape has very high feeding value.
and IL considered an excellent feed for
faficning sheep and swine II greatly
increases the flow OF milk from mitch
COWS Some farmers object to II he
cause they claim II taints the milk.
To overcome this objection. II II we'll
to feed rape after milking. II II n
very valuable feed for other stock
Sheep and hogs are usually better than
other kinds ~ stock for pasturing on
rape The best way 10 feed cattle and
horses II Ia use rape as sOiling
,rop
In several states they have expcri-
mcnted with mixing rape with oats or
wheat. and have succeeded very well
In iowa n pound NJ rape was sowcd
per acre about ten DAYS after seeding
the oats The rape inierfered to
some extent In harvesting the oats.
hut probably would not have caused
any tronble n II had been sowed three
weeks after the oats were planted II
the land Ii very poor. II probably
would he hest TO SOW the rape with
tho small grain.
Speaking Of the use NJ soy beans.
viii say that this crop Ii grown very
successfully In parts Of Ohio. and ranks
very close to clOv~rs and alfalfa for
hav The variety known as medium
green vii, mature seed In from ninety
10 one hundred days. and II considered
about the best variety for most locali-
ties The Ito San II q quicker matur.
Ing variety than the medium green.
hut does not produce quite as much
forage to the acre nor quite ms many
peas under the same conditions,
Among III" other varieties are the
medium yellow and the medium
carly black. hut these are not a. gen.
orally grown rs the ones mentioned
above
" Won expect 10 grow soy beans for
seed. the best success can be obtained
nv drilling In rows from twenty-eight
to thirty inches apart. This win rc-
0nirc about q half bushel ~ seed to
the acre; when drilled twenty-fonr
inches apart. 'hree'auartcrs OF n
hushcl Of sccd: and. when drilled with
the ordinary grain drill. seven or eight
inches apart. u will require about two
bushels Of seed to the acre. When
drilled as close rs seven or eight
inches the hay produced In Of a better
quality. not being so coarse rs when
the rows are wider. From the stand
point Of the production OF forage.
there Is not q great deal OF difference
in the yield per acre, whether the
rows are drilled eight inches apart or
twpnty-four.
There may be some trouble In cur
ing soy bean hay, but II the weather
conditions are favorable, there need
be no loss while curing. Soy beans as
q crop DO very well In ordinary soils.
but will respond much better II the
seed bed II thoroughly prepared, This
plant Is a shallow feeder, and thus will
do better In fields that have been
cultivated than II will
under ordinary conditions.
Speaking Of alfalfa for pasture, will
say that alfalfa sowed this spring
should not he pastured before at least
q year from this summer. and pre-
Sarahlv q wear from newt fall an yOt