The central record. (Lancaster, Ky.) 18??-current, 1913-03-14
Rape.

| hdEC.
The following bulletin issued by the
Kentucky agricultural Bureau gives
information in detail as to the cultivation
of rape. This crop has been experiment.
ed with by Garrard county farmers who
are willing to vouch for the truth of the
bulletin.
Rape is grown in the United States
primarily as forage plant, but in
Europe it is also quite widely grown,
mainly for the production of oil from
the seeds. This oil is used for iluminat-
ing purposes, for table use and for
fabrication. Rape belongs to the
cabbage family and has the fieshy char
acter of the leaf of cabbage. In shape
and general appearance the leaves
resemble those of the rutabaga or stock
turnip, but the roots are like those of
cabbage. The leaves grow very rank
and are sweet and tender. The plants
grow to height of one to four feet,
depending upon soil and season.
The principal uses of rape for forage
are for pasturage or soiling for sheep,
hogs and sometimes cattle. 1t is of
course. impossible to cure rape so that
it may be used for hay, neither is it
satisfactory for silage purposes. When
pastured the stock should be turned on
, when the plants reach the proper size,
usually six to eight weeks. After it
is eaten down very closely the stock
should be removed in order to give the
plant an opportunity to send up new
leaves. If handled in this way a field
will furnish pasturage for long period
When used for soiling purposes, that
is, cut and fed, rape should not be cut
too closely or it will be killed. If cut
from to inches high three cuttings
can often be secured.
When sheep or cattle are turned on
rape it is well to give them some dry
feed previously or they may bloat seri-
ously, especially If the rape is wet.
Hogs are not affected, however, and
can be turned on at any time. The
greatest danger from bloating occurs
when first turning on the pasture, for
after stock become accustomed to feed
ing on it they can be turned directly on
rape without much danger. Stock will
sometimes refuse to eat rape readily at
first, but they soon learn to relish it.
If fed to dairy cattle, rape should be
fed after the milking period, otherwise
the milk is liable to have a cabbage
flavor. Rape is very palatable and
makes splendid feed to use in connec-
ton with grain for fattening hogs and
sheep. 1t is very cheaply grown and
its use will in many cases greatly |
cheaper meat production. Those who |
have grown it are very enthusiastic in
its praise and consider it their most
profitable crop. 1t is not suitable for
feeding alone, for although very nutri-
tious it contains large amount of wat
er and would require the consumption
of too great bulk in order to satisfy
the animal.
Rape requires rich land, in fact it
cannot be too rich. The addition of
manure and in some cases, heterogeneous
fertilizers, is necessary to give the
maximum yield. The land for rape |
should be well prepared and finely pull
verified. The seed may be sown very
early and until as late as August. 1t |
takes rather hard freeze to injure |
rape and it will furnish pasturage I'M
til nearly Christmas if late paintings !
are male. 1t is usually large enough |
to pasture in four to eight weeks.
Rape seeds are very small, about like
black mustard seed. Three to five
pounds are sufficient to sow an acre.
1t may be sown broad cast and harrow
ed in lightly or covered with a brush
as is sometimes done with turnip seed.
Sowing in drills about "a inches apart !,
is considered by many the best way to
plant it. 1t is claimed that stock will
not tramp the plants as badly when
sown this way, as they have tendency
to keep between the rows. In addition
sowing in drills allows for cultivation
and in weedy land this is, of course, an
advantage. Rape can be used as a