FARMERS' REGISTER. 



23^ 



carrots, &c. than to hear him boast how many 

 acres he cultivates in such crops. 



In a few years we can demonstrate which are 

 best for swine, beets or carrots. Although I think 

 it an evidence of a good farmer to cultiva1«i roots 

 largely, still 1 think that Indian corn should have 

 its proper share of manure, for in our stale, corn 

 crops unaided by manure must be exceedingly 

 light. Perhaps there may be at this time some 

 diversity of opinions among farmers in regard to 

 root culture, but well directed experiments will cor- 

 rect all errors and establish liicta whether theore- 

 tical or practical. R. 



Humford, March, 1840. 



CULTURE OF RAPE. 



From the Cultivator. 



We are not aware that any efforts have been 

 made in this country to introduce the culture of 

 rape, which in England and on the continent is 

 deemed one of the most valuable of crops, and 

 enters extensively into all their systems of rotation. 

 According to Decandolle, there are two kinds of 

 this plant ; one the Brassica napus, the one com- 

 monly cultivated in Great Britain; and the 

 Brassica campestris, the one usually grown on the 

 continent, and according to him the most produc- 

 tive. In England it is frequently called coleseed, 

 and in France and Germany co/sa, but in boih 

 countries is highly prized for the excellence of the 

 oil lis seeds yield, and the value of the rape cake 

 for feeding animals, its qualities in this respect 

 resembling the oil cake from linseed. According 

 to Decandolle, the B. campestris has a rough, the 

 B. napus, a smooth leaf. 



Rape, as its name Brassica indicates, belongs 

 to the cabbage or turnip family, but it never heads 

 like the former, and its roots are of little value 

 compared with the latter, yet it forms an excellent 

 green crop for feeding sheep, and when grown for 

 its seeds, is excelled in profit by few other crops. 

 It is biennial, that is, it requires two years to 

 complete its growth, and ripen its seeds ; being 

 sown in July, and perfecting its seeds in the 

 August of the coming year. When used for 

 latiening sheep, the plants are fed off' green in the 

 fall, in the same manner as the turnip. According 

 to Loudon, the place which a rape occupies in a 

 rotation, is between two culmiferous or grain 

 crops. "On rich soils it may be succeeded to the 

 greatest advantage by wheat, as it is found to be 

 an excellent preparation for that sort of grain ; and 

 by its being taken off' early, there is sufficient time 

 allowed Ibr getting the land in order for sowing 

 wheat." 



The preparation of the land for rape is the same 

 as that required for cabbages or turnips, and the 

 Boil which suits the last will be the best for the 

 first of these plants. It may be sown broad cast 

 or in drills; suffered to stand where sown, or be 

 sown in beds and transplanted, but in any case the 

 ground must be kept clear of weeds, and the 

 plants properly hoed and thinned. The mode of 

 culture is essentially the same as that of the turnip. 

 When grown as food for sheep it is sown earlier, 

 is fed off' by animals on the ground, as the turnip, 

 and wheat is sown immediately after ; when 

 grown for seed, it is sown later, and the seed 



being gathered in July or August, wheat follows. 

 In Notes on the Aiiriculture of Germany, by- 

 Mr. Carr, an English gentleman, he says the aftea' 

 course is as follows : 



1 year, fallow, well dunged. 



2 " rape. 



3 " wheat. 



4 " barley. 



5 " peas/light dunging. 



6 " rye. 



7 " oats, with rye, or timothy grass 

 seeds, and red clover. 



The clover and peas plastered in May. The 

 clover is mown twice for hiiy, and left two years 

 Ibr pasture, when it is heavily manured, fallowed, 

 and again sown with rape. " The rape seed is 

 sown broad cast in the last of July or first of 

 August. This crop is greatly benefited the fol- 

 lowing spring by dusting gypsum over it, about 

 one hundred pounds to the acre. In July the seed 

 is ripe, and as the weather is generally fine, ia 

 trodden out by horses very expeditiously on large 

 canvass sheets in the field. The oil of this seed 

 pressed out, when purified, is without smell, gives 

 a brilliant, clear burning flame, and is universally 

 used all over Germany, in the saloon of the rich 

 and the cottage of the poor. The value of the 

 crop is somewhat precarious, because it is subject 

 to so many contingencies ; the turnip fly, and 

 caterpillar prey upon it when young, and when in 

 flower, a small beetle (Haltica nemormn) often 

 eats away the blossom bud, or lays its minute lar- 

 va? in the petals, ultimately furnishing every seed 

 pod with a maggot, which either eats the seeds 

 away, or forcing the pod open when nearly ripe, 

 causes it to fall out. When spared these calami- 

 ties, it is, however, a very remunerating crop, 

 worth from lOZ. to20Z. an acre, especially if there 

 is a foreign demand. The straw is generally burn- 

 ed, and the ashes scattered over the field ; it is 

 sometimes sold to the soapraakers, who prize it 

 highly. Two furrows are now given for wheat 

 sown broad cast in September." 



We can see but one serious obstacle to the cul- 

 ture of rape in the northern states, and that is the 

 rigor of our winters, which might endanger the 

 safety of the plants ; an obstacle of course that 

 would not exist farther south. That it would be 

 valuable, could it be safely cultivated, there can 

 be no doubt ; the oil and the cake would insure 

 such a result. In many instances, on good lands, 

 the proceeds of the first crop have more than equal- 

 led the price of the land. If any of our readers 

 have attempted the culture of this plant, we 

 should be pleased to learn the result, that we may 

 give it a place in the Cultivator. 



THE GARGET. 



From the Mamc Farmer. 



3fr. Holmes :— In No. 5, vol. 8, of the Farmer, 

 Mr. Henry Butman notices a piece written by me 

 over the signature of J. W. in a former number, 

 wherein he makes me the author of the notion that 

 tar applied to the noses of cattle subject to the gar- 

 get at certain seasons, was a preventive. In that 

 piece I adverted to an article which appeared in 

 vol. 6, number 10, where it is said that an experi- 

 enced farmer in Litchfield had made the discovery. 



