RAPE AND CABBAGE. 153 



season of growth. On stiff clays, the seed is slow 

 of germination, and subsequent development on this 

 class of soils is also slow. On poor, sandy lands it 

 may start quickly, but the growth will not be vigor- 

 ous unless fertilizer in some suitable form has been 

 freely applied to them. When moisture is present, 

 good farmyard manure is particularly favorable to 

 the growth of rape. Nor \vould it be easy to sup- 

 ply the manure in excessive quantities. Commer- 

 cial fertilizers rich in phosphates have been found 

 valuable in stimulating the growth of this plant. 



Preparing the Soil. In preparing the soil for 

 rape, much will depend upon its nature, upon the 

 character of the season, and upon the time of year 

 when the rape is sown. But, in any event, the aim 

 should be to have the seed bed fine, moist, and as 

 clean as it can be made under the conditions. When 

 the crop is sown early, moisture is usually present in 

 ample supply. If it is sown in the late spring or 

 during the summer the roller should follow close 

 upon the plowing to prevent the escape of moisture. 

 When the seed is sown early, or when the rape crop 

 follow r s just after the removal of another crop, but 

 little can be done by way of sprouting weed seeds 

 with a view to destroying them before sowing the 

 rape seed ; but if it is not sown until the season is 

 advanced and on land not previously cropped the 

 same year, there is ample time to clean the land on 

 and near the surface before the rape is sown. 



Sowing. - - The time for sowing rape will 

 depend, first, on the object sought in growing it; 

 second, on the nature of the season ; and, third, on 

 the character of the climate. Rape sown for pas- 

 ture will usually reach a maximum growth in from 



