FOURTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART VIII. 557 



ing snow. The cattle were again turned into the field and for about a 

 month enjoyed the best winter forage I have ever been able to produce. 

 On February 1st I found plants of rape in the field as green as they ever 

 were. Do not think that rape can often be put in cold storage for mid- 

 winter use. It is only when an early snowfall covers it before seriously 

 damaged by frosts that it can be thus preserved. 



Rape is quite hardy and does not seem to be damaged much by or- 

 dinary frosts, but after the ground begins to freeze it is soon destroyed 

 if not protected by snow. 



I wish now to call your attention to some of the experiments that 

 have been made to determine the value of rape to the stockgrower. 



Rape for Cattle. I have no data of experiments made to determine 

 the value of rape for cattle in comparison with other forage plants. Pro- 

 fessor-Henry in "Feeds and Feeding" says: "For cattle rape is highly 

 prized by some feeders as furnishing a succulent feed during the fall 

 months and preparing them for winter." 



For Milk Coios. At the Ontario Agricultural College rape increased 

 the yield of milk with no perceptible taint, although fed before and after 

 milking. Dairy authorities agree, however, that it should be fed with 

 extreme caution. 



For Sheep. At the Ontario Agricultural College rape proved as good 

 for lambs as rape and one half pound of oats daily, but not as good as 

 rape and other pasture. At the Wisconsin station lambs gained fifty 

 pounds more on rape than on bluegrass pasture, and made better gains 

 later on grain. 



Prof. Thomas Shaw, of the Minnesota Agricultural College, says: 

 "An acre of rape should furnish forage for from ten to fifteen sheep f«r 

 two months. At the end of that time the sheep should be fat enough 

 for ordinary marketing." He further says of rape: "Its fattening proper- 

 ties are probably twice as good as clover." 



Rape for Hogs. The Wisconsin Experiment Station has made many 

 experiments to determine the valuel of rape as a food for growing pigs. 

 Professor Carlyle, of that station, says: "Rape is better green feed for 

 growing pigs than good clover pasture. Pigs are more thrifty, have a 

 better appetite, and make correspondingly better gains when supplied 

 with rape in connection with grain feed, than when' fed with grain 

 alone. Rape is the most satisfactory and cheapest green food for swine 

 that we have fed." 



In conclusion let me urge you to sow a few acres of rape. Sow it 

 in a small field of corn before the last cultivation; husk the corn early 

 and turn in the cattle, using the same precautions to prevent bloat that 

 you would in pasturing clover. I believe it will partly, and perhaps 

 wholly, eliminate cornstalk disease as g, factor of loss in the West. 



Sow a pound of seed per acre in small grain that you do not intend 

 to seed to grass, and you will have excellent fall feed in stubble. I 

 would not sow it with grain on very rich land where the grain is liable to 

 lodge, as it may then cause trouble. On very rich land scatter seed on 

 field after grain begins to come up. 



