188 SHEEP FARMING IN AMERICA 



not be cured into hay. There seems a peculiar affin- 

 ity between the cabbage family and the sheep. Com- 

 mon cabbages, thousand-headed kale, rape, swede 

 turnips all are greedily eaten and make good, 

 healthful development. 



Eape comes into good play during the drouths of 

 autumn and after cool, frosty, weather has stopped 

 the growth of grass in the fall. It may be sown in 

 the corn at the time of the last working, using 

 about three or four pounds of seed to the acre and 

 letting the cultivator cover it. Should the season 

 prove moderately moist thereafter the rape will 

 come on and be ready to make a vigorous growth as 

 soon as the corn is cut. By the middle of October 

 it may be waist high over the field and will afford 

 an immense amount of grazing until Christmas or 

 later. 



Care should be taken not to turn on rape early 

 in the morning in late fall when it is frosted, as 

 every leaf that is bent at that time will blacken and 

 decay. It takes a cold of about 12 above to injure 

 rape if it is not disturbed until it has thawed again. 



Sheep will fatten on rape, though an addition of 

 grain is profitable and access to a grass pasture or 

 the regular feeding of good hay in connection with 

 it is very desirable. There is some danger from 

 bloat in rape feeding, though the writer has never 

 had to treat a sheep for rape bloating nor lost one. 

 The value of rape as a grazing plant for sheep is too 

 little appreciated. 



The Dwarf Essex seems the best variety to sow. 



