509 



the benefits of a rape crop, so far as I can judge, are as follows : 

 Science- teaches us that a large proportion of the leaves and stalks 

 of succulent herbage is composed of substances taken from the 

 atmosphere, such as moisture, carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, &c. The 

 roots of the rape plant permeate the soil, and draw to the surface 

 from the subsoil valuable plant food. The rootlets improve the 

 mechanical texture of the soil, and enrich it in their decay, and the 

 whole plant when ploughed in decomposes, thus contributing con- 

 siderably to the organic matter. Rape contains about 8 per cent, 

 of carbo-hydrates, 2 per cent, of albumen, and a little fat. It can- 

 not be excelled for fattening old ewes, or producing fat lambs for 

 the market. When very young and succulent rape is liable to scour 

 sheep ; to prevent this, a little hay or straw chaff should be within 

 reach of the animals to counteract this tendency. In New Zealand 

 and Canada half a pint of oats per sheep is allowed, with very 

 payable results. Rock salt, in all cases, should be within reach of 

 the sheep. Rape is not suitable as a food on which to feed milch 

 cows exclusively, as it taints the milk. It is, however, capital food 

 for pi^s, and they are very fond of it. 



Fertiliser foi rape. Although rape will give a profitable 

 return during an average season on fair land, thoroughly cultivated, 

 without manure, it is responsive to an application of farm-yard 

 manure. It is probable that the application of a complete fertilizer 

 will give satisfactory results. From experiments carried out with 

 fertilisers applied to this plant, at the Ontario Agricultural College 

 experiment station, Canada, the best results were obtained from 

 the application of nitrate of soda, and the next from the application 

 of salt. 



Precautions to be observed in feeding with rape. Stock should 

 never be turned into rape when hungry otherwise they will eat 

 too much of it and become blown, and probably a large percentage 

 may die. When the man in charge of the sheep at Beefacres 

 put 2,000 ewes into 150 acres of rape for the first time, he lost eleven 

 head within two hours. He then took them out, and put them into 

 a bare paddock ; the sheep all lay down at the gate, wanting to get 

 in again to the rape. When the gate was opened, they required no 

 dog to drive them back to the rape ; they rushed in at full force, 

 and being empty with their long fast, commenced eating most 

 ravenously, with the result that twenty-two died within an hour. 

 The shepherd, terrified, took them all out, and came to me to report 

 progress. I instructed him to then put the sheep in with a full 

 stomach, and leave them there. He replied to the effect that if he 

 did this I should lose the half of them. I assured him that I would 

 take all responsibility. We had, at the time, a field of winter proud 

 wheat, and next morning I went up and gave instructions to let the 

 sheep into the wheat field, where they filled themselves thoroughly. 

 The rape paddock adjoined the wheat one, and the gate w r as opened, 

 so they quietly passed from the wheat into. the rape. Being so full 



