FOURTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART VIII. OOO 



We have a piece of road a little way over the line in Clinton county, 

 made on this plan, that has stood for almost thirty years, and is in good 

 condition today and has had but little repairs. 



Wisconsin has many such roads and they are satisfactory in every 

 respect, and once we get such roads the expense of repairs will be but a 

 trifle. 



Touching again on rural delivery, our association has for its aim: 

 Better men morally and intellectually, better system and facilities for the 

 advancement of the service, enabling the carriers to give better results to 

 their patrons. Better pay for the work done by the carriers, and last. 

 but a very important aim, "We want better roads." 



We, as an organization, stand ready and willing to assist in all ways 

 possible to help improve the condition of the roads, and we beg of you 

 to take this subject under consideration and do all in your power to pu' 

 some plan into action. 



Owing to the fact that I have been advised to condense my subjeci 

 as much as possible, I have omitted several minor points, that otherwise 

 I would have mentioned, and some of those I have mentioned I would 

 have enlarged upon. But hoping that you will understand the aim and 

 feelings of our association towards the good roads movement, I will leave 

 the subject with you. 



RAPE AS A FORAGE AND SOILING CROP. 



H. B. Strever, before the Cherokee Counfy Farmers' Institute. 



Rape is a comparatively new plant in this country. It is fast grow- 

 ing in favor, how^ever, and promises in time to become one of our most 

 useful forage crops. 



Rape belongs to the same variety of plants as the turnip, cabbage, 

 kale, mustard, etc. There are several varieties of it, the Dwarf Essex 

 being the only one recommended for this country. It is a biennial, using 

 the first season for growth and the second for production of seed. No 

 seed can be grown here, as the plant cannot live through our severe win- 

 ters, 



The rape plant grows to a height of from one and one half to three 

 feet. In foliage it resembles the rutabaga or Swedish turnip, but unlike 

 the latter has no bulb or turnip at base of stem. 



It delights in a rich, moist soil, where it will produce an enormous 

 amount of foliage. It does well on any prairie soil of ordinary fertility 

 in seasons of average rainfall. It makes but little growth during the dry. 

 hot weather of midsummer, but with the advent of cooler weather and 

 rain it springs into luxuriant growth, which continues until late in the 

 fall. 



An average crop will yield from ten to twelve tons per acre. On rich 

 soil and under favorable conditions fully twice that amount can be grow^n. 

 Owing to its watery nature rape is used only as a forage or soiling crop, 

 and as such is suitable for cattle, sheep and hogs. 



