French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1916-1919, 1917-09-20

pIement.
By C.. B. WILLIAMS, Chief, Division
Of Agronomy, N. G. Experiment
Station. West Raleigh.
The rape plant closely resembles
the ruta-baga during it's early stages
Of growth; in fact, so close is this re-
semblance that often an experienced
grower cannot distinguish between
them. It's root system, however, is
more like that Of the cabbage. It
likes cool weather and will grow dur
ing any portion of the year after Sc
we're freezing weather is passed. 1t
will endure pretty evere cold weather
in the fall and winter without being ma
terially injured; In fact, it may be used
for pasturage after being frozen, pro-
vided stock are kept off while it is
frozen. 1t does not make much growth
during the hot, dry months Of mid
summer. Under ordinary conditions
the plants will attain a height Of IL
inches to 2 feet or more. The Dwarf
Essex variety of the crop is best suit
ed for us under Southern conditions.
POSSIBILITIES or the Crop
Farmers are becoming more and
more interested in the production of
green crops for fan, winter and early
spring grazing. Especially Is this true
of those who are engaged in the rails
ing of hogs and poultry. For winter
pasturage an acre Oh two Of this crop
will supply many tons of nutritious
feed at the time Of the year when
green feeds are scarce. It has been
fully demonstrated by repeated trials
that an acre of rape properly seed
ed on good rich land will produce as
much pork when used as q hog pas
ture as the same acre OF land cult
waited in corn The rape can be grown
much cheaper than the corn, as It
will not require any cultivation, and
the preparation OF the seed-bed and
seeding win be about the same for
both. The hogs viii harvest the rape
crop, while the corn must be harvest
ed by the farmer himself. It should
be remembered, however, that the
acreage OF rape that can, be prof1tably
utilized for pasturage IN the average
farm is limited, it usaufly not being
more than two OF three ceres.
In feeding experiments at the Ala
bama Station running for lat days
CNovemhe1 9April s. with pigs weigh
ing approximately 46 pounds each at
the beginning Of the experiment, IL wal
found that the two lots Of pigs fed
ON a ration Of two parts Of corn and
one part Of wheat shorts and allowed
the use of a rape pasture during the
period, produced pork on an average
of 34.4 per cent less cost per pound, \
counting the cost Of providing the
rape pasture, than did another lot
fed ON the same ration and confined in
dry lots. In other words, the lots fat
tened on rape pasture, supplemented
with the necessary amount of the ra-
ton of corn and wheat shorts, made
very satisfactory profit, while the lot
fattened on the ration of corn and
wheat shorts alone in dry lots afford
ed little or no profit.
Soil and Its Preparation.
Rape is best adapted for growth on
a deep, rich, mellow, lOamy soil that
is fairly we'll stored with humus. It
does not do we'll ON the very light
sandy or stiff clay soils because they
are deficient in organic matter. Any
soil that will produce wheat and corn
well will be found suited for the
growth of rape. In preparing the
land it should be we'll broken, then
thoroughly narrowed into a fine, clean
seed bed, as is usually done for t1IP-
nips or r~uta-bagas. If the land has
a liberal application of n the
previous year, so much the better.
On average land it will be well to
apply broadcast yer the land; Just
after breaking and before narrowing,
about 800 to 500 pounds per acre of
a fertilizer containing s to 10 per cent
available phosphoric acid, 4 to 6 per
cent potash, and 8 to 4 per cent nitro
gen.
Seeding.
For the Coastal Plain and Riedmont
sections, the spring seeding may be
made during March or early in April.
and the fall seeding any time between
August 20 and October 15. In the
mountain section the spring seeding
will have to be made in April and the
fall seeding during the latter part of
July or early in August in order to
get best results. The a seed are