COLZA. 



COLZA. 



When this is skilfully performed, the planta- ' 

 tion may be effected with great regularity. In | 

 soils of moderate fertility, the plants need not t 

 be more than 9 inches apart in every direction. 

 When the ground is very rich, they may stand | 

 about 12 inches apart; and when planted with 

 the plough, every other furrow is left vacant, 

 and the plants placed 9 or 10 inches apart. 



In moderately fertile soils, the product of the 

 colza is generally equal to, and sometimes a 

 little greater than that of wheat. Thus, in soils 

 which produce 20 bushels of wheat to the acre, 

 20 or 25 bushels of colza are obtained, and the 

 product of rape has been nearly equal. But in 

 more fertile soils the colza, when it has been 

 well managed, far surpasses the product of 

 wheat on the same soil, it being not unusual 

 to obtain 28 or 30 bushels to the acre, on 

 ground that will not yield more than 18 or 20 

 bushels of wheat. Sometimes, by very careful 

 cultivation, and on ground of a very deep soil, 

 especially when this is newly broken up, as 

 much as 40 bushels of colza can be got from 

 an acre, a larger product than could be expect- 

 ed from rape. 



The chaff of colza and rape form very good 

 food fur woolly anim-ils during winter. When 

 given to horned cattle, it should be in the form 

 of slop, made by mixing it in boiling water. 

 Sheep eat the straw or stems very freely, when 

 well kept and not too coarse. 



When planted in rows, a hoeing or harrow- 

 ing, by means of the cultivator, is generally 

 given in the month of March. About the be- 

 ginning of July, and sometimes even at the end 

 of June, the navette, or rape, and winter colza 

 arrive at maturity, the rape almost always S 

 or 10 days the earliest. As the seeds of these 

 plants shatter off very easily, it is necessary 

 that, in harvesting, they should be cut before 

 they become completely ripe. The most pro- 

 per time is when the seed-pods begin to turn 

 yellow and become transparent, and when the 

 seeds are of a dark-brown, though still tender. 

 Though the grains of all the pods may yet be 

 green, the greatest number will ripen in the 

 stack or mow. Sometimes, when the crop has 

 become very ripe, to prevent the loss of the 

 seed, it should only be cut in the evening or 

 morning, whilst it is covered with dew, or dur- 

 ing a bright moonlight night. Twenty-four 

 hours after reaping, or sometimes immediately 

 after, if the plants are quite ripe, the colza is 

 put into cocks, the sheaves being carried to an 

 elevated part of the field, and placed in cocks, 

 the height of which must be double that of the 

 stock of colza. In laying them down, the first 

 sheaves are placed on the outside, and the next 

 towards the centre. The cock gradually dimi- 

 nishes in diameter, till raised to the height of 

 five or six feet. When the cock is two or three 

 feet high, the stalks or stems have an inclina- 

 tion on the outside downwards. This increases 

 successively to the top. which is thus made to 

 form a perfect cone. To keep out the rain, the 

 top may be tied with a band of straw, willow 

 twig, or branch of 'any other pliant wood. The 

 cocks remain in this state until all the grains 

 are matured. This generally requires from 8 

 to 12 days. If carefully put up, the cocks will 

 be sufficiently protected against bad weather, 



except in case of powerful and continued rains, 

 which would occasion still more damage to the 

 crop in any other situation. The colza may 

 also be put into large stacks, like those of 

 wheat and other grain, very soon after it has 

 been cut, and remain in this situation for a 

 month or two. This is, in fact, the safest way 

 of keeping the colza. But this method is more 

 expensive than that of cocking, as it requires 

 to be wagoned to the stack. The fermentation 

 which always lakes place in the cocks is very 

 favourable to the grain, giving it a fine colour, 

 and contributing qualities which are very de- 

 sirable. The grain will only be injured, if it is 

 heaped up whilst it is yet green or wet. 



When the crop is small, it may be taken at 

 once into a barn and thrashed off. In its trans- 

 portation the seed is very apt to be shaken off, 

 on which account it is necessary to carry them 

 to the- wagons in cloths, and the wagon itself 

 should be lined with some coarse and cheap 

 stuff 



Large crops of colza or rape are generally 

 thrashed in the field by the feet of horses, the 

 place being covered with strong hempen cloth, 

 stretched upon a spot from which all stones, 

 &c., are carefully removed. If the colza has 

 been put up in cocks, we carry the whole cock 

 in a linen cloth eight feet square, which four 

 men suspend to two long poles of light wood, 

 eleven feetjjo length, attached to the two sides 

 of the linen. After spreading the cloth along 

 the side of the cock, two other poles, of the 

 same length as those described, are passed 

 under the cock, which is thus raised up altoge- 

 ther and placed upon the cloth, to be carried 

 to the thrashing-floor. When this is sufficiently 

 filled with colza, spread evenly about two feet 

 in thickness, and first beaten down by the feet 

 of the workman who arranges it, three unshod 

 horses are put upon the floor, or three two-year- 

 old colis. These are trotted circularly around 

 a man who occupies the centre, and who holds 

 them by a rein. After they have been round 

 several times, the colza is turned with hay- 

 forks, and the horses brought on again. In 

 this way the thrashing is done very quickly. 

 If a very large crop, two thrashing-floors should 

 be made, so that when one bed is preparing, 

 another maybe thrashing and emptying. After 

 being thrashed, the seeds maybe housed, either 

 in the chaff or partially screened through rid- 

 dles. When put into granaries, the colza 

 should be spread in small beds, and turned 

 frequently for some time, being subject to 

 heating, by which much of their value is lost. 

 It should only be completely cleaned when 

 perfectly dry, or when it is desirable to sell, as 

 it keeps so much better when mixed with more 

 or less chaff. It is scarcely necessary to ob- 

 serve that colza may be thrashed by means of 

 the common thrashing machines used for grain. 



Spring Colza. In clayey and new soils, the 

 spring colza is generally more productive 

 than the rape, yet it is always a very uncertain 

 crop, like those of all oily grains which are 

 sown in the spring. It is one of the most pro- 

 fitable plants that can be grown in the soils 

 of newly-drained ponds and meadows. Some 

 persons, however, have obtained abundant 

 crops from ground adapted to the growth of 

 2G 



