Cultivation of Arable Land. Rape or Cole Application of Crops of. 1.95 



it may in. many inftances be the mofl proper and advantageous crop that can be 

 employed by the farmer.* 



The moft general application of this fort of crop is, however, as a green food 

 or fheep, in which ufe it is fcarcely furpafTed by any other vegetable, in fo far as 

 refpects its nutritious properties, and thofe of being agreeable to the tafte of the 

 animals ; but in quantity of produce it is inferior to both turnips and cabbages. In 

 this application the crops are fed offoccafionally from the beginning of November 

 to the middle of April : being found of great value, in the firft period, in fattening 

 dry ewes and all forts of old fheep ; and in the latter, for fupporting ewes and 

 lambs. The fheep are folded upon them in the fame manner as is practifed in the 

 confumption of turnips. In this way they are found to pay from fifty to fixty 

 fhillings the acre, that quantity being fufficient for the fupport often fheep for ten 

 of twelve weeks. 



Rape has been found by experience to be fuperior to turnips in fattening 

 fheep, and in fome cafes even to be apt to deftroy them by its fattening quality. 

 It is likewife obferved that that which is grown on frefh land has the ftem as 

 brittle as glafs, and is fuperior to every other kind of food in fattening thefe ani 

 mals ; while in that produced on old tillage land, the ftem is tough and wiry, and 

 has but little proof in it.f 



When neat cattle are put upon this food in its green ftate, care is neceflary that 

 they have not too much of it at firft, as they are very liable to be hoven by it. 



It has been fuggefted by a late writer, that the cultivators of this crop, in order to 

 turn it to the beft account, fhould conftantly keep in view the circumftance of its 

 being capable of a double application : as by feeding it off with fheep in autumn, 

 the fucceeding crop may not be much injured; confequently a large fupply of 

 winter food be procured, without the quantity of feed being much, if at all, 

 lefTened. This is, therefore, conceived to be the moft profitable management in 

 crops of this kind.}: 



In fome foils and fituations this may be the cafe; but in general, feeding the 

 crop lefTens the quantity of feed, as a much larger produce is moftly obtained 

 where this is not practifed. 



Whether cultivated for the feed or as a green crop for the fupport of live 

 fteck, rape may in many cafes be had recourfe to as a firft crop in breaking up 

 coarfe wafte lands, by paring and burning, with great advantage ; but in the for- 



* Kent s Hints. + Corrected Report of Lincolnfliire. 



J Modern Agriculture, vol. II. Ibid. 

 C C 2 



