400 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



South also on winter oats and winter barley. "When sown' on these the 

 seeding should not be done too early. When thus sown the harrow 

 should be used to cover the same. Because of the impaction of the 

 soil the weeder will not ordinarily provide a sufficient covering. The 

 harrowing thus given to the grbund, if judiciously done, will also be 

 peculiarly helpful to the grain crop. When rape seed is thus sown on 

 winter grain crops, it should produce pasture both early and ample when 

 the grain is cut, since it is removed so early in the season. 



The amount of seed to sow varies. It runs all the way from one to 

 twio pounds. On good soil the smaller amount of seed is sown. On ..oil 

 not so good the larger. It would probably be correct to say that one and 

 a half pounds would be an average amount to sow. No advantage fol- 

 lows over-thick sowing, especially in a dry season, as the plants in the 

 contention for moisture do not grow as large as when they do not grow 

 too thickly. 



In some seasons the amount of pasture thus furnished is very great. 

 In other seasons, as when the drought is excessive, the results may be 

 disappointing. In fact the stand of the plants may entirely fail, but this 

 does not often happen. Under some conditilons an acre of such pasture 

 will grow rape enough to fatten half a dozen sheep and lambs. The pas- 

 ture is also less liable to produce bloat than rape grown by itself, sinco 

 other plants grow up in the rape and these will be eagerly eaten by the 

 sheep. All weed seeds growing in such pastures will be consumed. There 

 are some objectitons to the system, especially in' the West. To be effective 

 fencing is wanted. On. many grain-growing farms there are virtually no 

 fences. It is the custom also to plough much of the land intended for 

 grain, at least in the Northwest, as soon as practicable after harvest. 

 Where this is done it does not give time for rape plants to develop or tio 

 be grazed down after harvest. Moreover, where lands are sown to grass 

 it would not be a gclod plan to sow rape thus for grazing, as the close 

 cropping in the autumn' w'ould be much against the safe wintering of the 

 young grass plants. 



Nevertheless the opportunity is furnished for growing almost endless 

 pastures for autumn grazing in this way. 



Some farmers, for instance, in Minnesota, who sow five hundred acres 

 or thereabouts to grain, fatten more than one thousand lambs upon the 

 rape gnown thus upon the same every season or almost every season. In 

 fact they look upon the revenues produced froin the rape as being in itself 

 quite a profit and is obtained without lessening the fertility of the land. 

 It is alsoi very beneficial because of the influence which it exerts on the 

 destruction of weeds. 



SOWING SORGHUM. 



Homestead. 



To those who are not familiar with the merits of sorghum we will 

 say that the crop yields abundantly if properly put in and that the hay 

 or fodder is relished by all kinds of farm animals. The argument is 



