II Jan., 1909.] Spring Soicii Rape. 17 



crop of rape can be grown and fed off, and in many cases a strong culti- 

 vator will bring the ground into good order for sowing, especially if the 

 sheep have been removed whenever the ground was at all wet. 



New fallow land is not nearly so good for spring rape as older ground. 

 In the first place it is ne\er sufficiently fine for the small rape seed to 

 germinate in, and it gets more or less sunbaked, especially if ploughed 

 when ver\ wet. It is cheaper to let the sun and moisture do the work of 

 breaking it down for the March sowing, than to attempt to work it up 

 in time to sow rape. Rape on sunbaked new fallow does not get its roots 

 away at the same rate as in older cultivation ground. 



Old ground with the stubbles ploughed in will hold the moisture longer 

 after each shower, and even in ground bad to set, straw assists towards 

 checking this setting. 



As growth must be made in a shoa't space of time, all spring sown rape 

 should be sown with superphosphate. 



Rape sown in late spring does not go to seed to anvthing like the extent 

 winter sown rape does. 



In country like the Western District plains, possessing a fair rainfall 

 and a good chance of thunderstorms through the summer, a fair amount 

 of picking can often be expected right through the summer, especially on 

 buck-shot country. On suitable parts of fallow that are of such a nature 

 as to retain moisture and, at the same time, allow of free root growth, rape 

 is being found very profitable when the right breeds of store lambs are 

 bought at prices allowing a margin. As this branch of farming grows, it 

 will be possible for the freezing works tO' procure enough to warrant con- 

 tinuing operations further into the summer than has been the case in the 

 past. Lambs from roomy merino ew^es, by good shaped Lincoln or 

 Leicester .rams, or, better still, lambs by good Down's rams from coarse 

 ewes, will suit this demand best. When the system of rape fallow is more 

 generally understood there will be no need to sell the above breeds of lambs 

 to freezing companies at seven to eight shillings, now too often the case in 

 the rush from the northern areas, hastened by the short spring there. 



Farmers who have a fair area of buck-shot fallow into rape will do 

 well to buy lambs of the right breeds at about eight shillings, either in the 

 wool or shorn. Those who have room to graze them until the stubbles and 

 rape fallow are ready can buy to the best advantage. 



Lambs from either of the two crosses named, if carefully bred (for 

 there are lambs of these crosses that are only second raters), will shear 

 bulky fleeces, worth about three shillings. After being shorn, lambs would 

 cost the farmer this year about six shillings only, and being of a fleshy 

 breed they will fatten easily by end of January or beginning of February. 

 Merino, and fine comeback lambs will not suit the farmer for his purposes, 

 as they are slow to thrive and cannot be made thick fleshed enough to 

 please the export trade. Apart from the profit to be made directlv from 

 fattening of lambs there must be credited the advantages that rape fallow 

 give& to the soil for the following grain crop. A good crop is a certaintv 

 after sheep and rape, e\'en if sown Inte. 



Lambs affected with tape \vorms need not be passed by when a supply 

 of rape is available. Rape is lietter than any drenches for clearing lambs 

 of .stomach and intestinal worms, and even lung worm, unless they have 

 gone too far. 



Equally with the buying of the right sort of lambs at the right prices, 

 fodder growing is largely a matter of judgment and good management. 

 Thorough methods are as much a necessity in growing spring fodder crops 

 as for grain growing. 



