Milford chronicle., 1912-09-27
GROWING RAPE.
Reply TO Nathan Ringer, Grover
Hill, Ohio.


and what is the time to SOW here?
Would like to know If alfalfa makes a
good pasture if sowed for milch cows,
as the clover is all frozen out here this
spring"
Rape Is best adapted to cool cli-
mates, but still does exceptionally well
in very wide range of latitude. 1t
has been grown successfully in parts
of Mississippi. and all the way north
into Canada. 1t does best and de-
velops the most rapidly on rich, moist,
loamy soils, although it will do fairly
well on light sandy soils if they are in
a good state of cultivation. Rape is a
very heavy feeder, and requires a great
deal of moisture. 1t also utilizes a
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 It in rows
and cultivate it, This method is not
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 the
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 it 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. 1t greatly
Increases the flow of milk from milch
cows. Some farmers object to it be-
cause they claim it 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 a 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 to
some extent in harvesting the oats |
but probably would not have caused |
anv trouble if it had been sowed three
weeks after the oats were planted. II
the land is very poor. it probably
would he best to SOW the rape with
the small grain.
Sneaking of the use OF SOY beans,
will say that this croD is grown very
successfully in parts of Ohio and RANKS
very close to ciovers and alfalfa for
hav The variety known as medium
green will mature seed in from ninety
TO one hundred days. and is considered
about the hest variety for most locall-
ties. The Ito San is a quicker matur-
ing variety than the medium green
but does not produce quite as much
forage to the acre nor quite as many
meas under the same conditions
Among the other varieties are the
medium yellow and the medium
early black. but these are not as gen
erallv grown as the ones mentioned
above.
If Won expect to grow SOY beans for
seed. the best success can be obtained
bv drilling in rows from twenty-eight,
IN thirty inches apart This will re-
1uire about a half bushel of seed to
the acre; when drilled twenty-four
inches apart, three-quarters Of
1ushel OF seed: and. when drilled with
he ordinary grain drill. seven or eight
inches apart, it will require about two
bushels OF seed to the acre. When
Irilled as close as seven or eight
inches the hay produced is of a better
Iuality. not being so coarse as when
he rows are wider. From the stand
,oint of the production of forage
here is not a great deal of difference ]
n the yield per acre whether the
'ows are drilled eight inches apart or
There may be some trouble in cur
ng soy bean hay, but if the weather s
conditions are favorable, there need I
10 no loss while curing. Soy beans as
crop do very well in ordinary soils
,ut will respond much better If the
eed bed is thoroughly prepared. This {
liant is a shallow feeder, and thus will I
10 better in fields that have been s
cultivated than it will S
Inder ordinary conditions. (
Speaking of alfalfa for pasture viii l
av that alfalfa sowed this spring Il
hould not be pastured before at least T
year from this summer, and pre- \