Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1919-01-10

BY G. B. WILLIAMS, Chief, Division
Of Agronomy, N. c. 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 10 passed. It
will endure pretty severe cold weather
In the fall and winter without being ma
terially injured; In fact, II may be used
for pasturage after being frozen, pro-
vided stock are kept off while It is
frozen. II does not make much growth
during the hot, dry months Of mid
summer. Under ordinary conditions
the plants will attain height Of IS
inches to 2 feet or moro. The Dwarf
Essex variety Of the crop is best suit
cd for us under Southern conditions.
Possibilities Of 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 or 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 hog pas
ture as the same acre Of land cult
waited in corn. The rape can be grown
much cheaper than the corn, a. It
will not require any cultivation. and
the preparation Of the seed.bed and
seeding will be about the same for
both. The hogs will harvest the rape
crop, while the corn must be harvest
cd by the farmer himself. It should
be remembered, however, that the
acreage of rape that can be proftably
utilized for pasturage on the average
farm is limited, 1t usaully not being
more than two or three acres.
In feeding experiments at the Ala
bama Station running for lat days
November 9-April 81 with pigs weigh
Ing approximately 46 pounds each at
the beginning Of the experiment, 1t was
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 Ito Preparation.
Rape is best adapted for growth on
q deep, rich, mellow, loamy soil that
Is fairly well stored with humus. 1t
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 tur-
nips or ruta-bagas. II the land has
liberal application of manure the
previous year, so much the better
On average land II will be we'll to
apply broadcast over the land, Just
after breaking and before narrowing,
about 800 to 500 pounds per acre Of
a fertilizer containing 5 to 10 per cent
available phosphoric acid, 4 to 6 per
cent potash, and 3 to per cent nitro
gen.
Seeding.
For the Coastal Plain and Piedmont
sections, the spring seeding may be
made during March or early In April.
and the fall seeding any time between
August 20 and October IL. In the
mountain section the spring seeding
will have to be made in April and the
tall seeding during the latter part OF
July or early in August in order to
ret best results. The rape seed are