194 Cultivation of Arabic Land. Rape or CV//e Heaping Crop* of. 



In fome parts of Yorkfliirc this bufinefs formerly conftitutcd a fort of fcftival ; * 

 hut it is now much on the decline, the method of binding the crop in fmiii 

 fheaves and (lacking it in the field being much adopted. The barn ought, how 

 ever, to be preferred. 



The expenccs of the different operations, fuch as reaping, turning, thrcfhing, 

 d re fling, and depofiting the feed in ba^s, may in general be eflimated at from 

 twenty-five to thirty (hillings the acre. 



When this fort of plant fuccceds well, and the feafon is favourable for fecurinir 

 the feed, the crops are extremely profitable to the cultivators, forty or fifty bufhcls 

 or more being frequently produced on the acre. Mr. Marfhall thinks, indeed, 

 that on the whole * it may be confidered as one of the mod profitable crops in 

 hu(bandry. There have been,&quot; fays he, &amp;lt;( inftances on cold unproductive old 

 p^ifhire lands, in which the produce of the rape crop has been equal to the pur- 

 chafe value of the land.f&quot; The feed is fold by the lad of ten quarters, for the 

 purpofe of having oil exprefled from it, by mills conftructed for that ufe ; the 

 hufks, after the oil has been in a great meafure fqueezed from them, forming the 

 cakes employed in feeding cattle. The price varies confiderably, but lately has 

 feldom been much below thirty pounds the laft. 



Rape crops are, however, precarious, both in the early cultivation and the fe- 

 curing of the produce : being often much injured while young by infects, fome- 

 \vhatinthemannerofturnip crops; when in blow, or in the period between 

 bloffoming and forming the feed pods, in the fpring, as about the beginning of 

 May, by frofts, blight, and mildew ; and in fecuring the crop, if the time of 

 cutting be not nicely attended to, or much rain fall, there is much danger of its 

 being loft or deftroyed. 



The culture of this crop for feed has been confidered by many as objection 

 able, on account of the great degree of exhaufiion of the land that it is fuppofed 

 to produce ; but where it is grown on a fuitable foil and preparation, with proper 

 attention in the after-culture, and the draw and offal, inftead of being burnt, as is 

 the common practice, converted to the purpofes of feeding and littering cattle,J 



* In the Rural Economy of that diftricl; Mr. Marfhall has given a full and very interefting de- 

 fcription of the bufinefs. 



f Rural Economy of Yorkfhire. 



It is remarked by Mr. Marfhall, in the work juft noticed, that &quot;the value of ft raw to cat 

 tle in winter is very confulerable. The stover (pulls and points broken off in threfhing) is as accep 

 table as hay, and the tops are eaten with an avidity nearly equal to cut ftraw, better than wheat ftraw. 

 When well got, the fmaller butts will be eaten up clean. The offal makes excellent litter for the 

 farm-yard, and fcufeful for the bottoms of mows, ftacks ? &C,&quot; 



