THIRD ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART VI. 2S7 



crops of oats they go into the markets, buy a carload of sheep, pasture it 

 down, then ship them as fat sheep to market, and have in several cases 

 that have come to our knowledge realized five dollars per acre for this 

 pick-up crop at a total cost of not over twenty-five to forty cents per acre 

 for seed. 



The third method of using rape is by sowing it at the rate of from 

 three to five pounds per acre in the corn fields just prior to the last work- 

 ing. If there is sufficient moisture to secure germination this will pay 

 every time. There will not, however, be a rank growth of rape until the 

 frost kills the corn blades, as rape does not grow rapidly unless it can 

 have the full sunlight. In any case, however, if a stand is secured, the 

 rape will be worth more than the cost of the seed sown in keeping down 

 weeds, and will always bring its full value by means of its rapid growth 

 after the frost has stopped the growth of the corn. 



This should not be done, however, where it is intended to sow the land 

 to winter wheat, as the full benefit will not be secured in time for wheat 

 sowing, and besides the rape will interfere somewhat with the drill in 

 sowing the wheat. Where it is intended to husk the corn and pasture the 

 stalks, a practice which we hope we will live long enough to see entirely 

 out of date, there should be no hesitation in sowing it, as the only risk will 

 be in not securing a stand. It will be of great advantage to cattle, and 

 tend to prevent impaction of the stomach or what is sometimes known as 

 blind staggers. It will also be a very great advantage where sheep are 

 fattened in the corn field, as with rape, corn blades, weeds and corn, sheep 

 will make a growth that will surprise and delight the owner. 



If our new subscribers will experiment with Dwarf Essex Rape in one 

 or all of these ways, we are sure they will be paid many times over for the 

 cost of their subscription to Wallaces' Farmer and will wonder why they 

 have never subscribed for the paper before. 



SOWING RAPE IN GRAIN FIELDS. 



Homestead. 



Investigation reveals the fact that valuable plant food constituents 

 are lost when soil is allowed to remain bare after a cereal crop is removed. 

 In view of this, there is a growing tendency in favor of keeping some crop 

 growing on the soil throughout the summer and autumn. It has been 

 determined, for example, that by sowing rape along with cereals in the 

 spring there is produced a most excellent fall pasture for sheep and hogs, 

 so that fertility which otherwise might be wasted is utilized in the produc- 

 tion of mutton and pork. The manner of seeding is very similar to that 

 by which clovers and grasses are established. The soil should be well 

 prepared on the surface in order to insure a uniform covering of the seed. 

 It is the practice of some to mix rape seed at the rate of two or three 

 pounds per acre with oats or barley and sow all together at the same time 



