CHAP. iv. RAPE. 959 



swede is the predominant root. In the north-east and east of 

 Scotland, on the other hand, several varieties of the yellow common 

 turnips are grown in much larger proportion, and a large amount of 

 leaf, serving as a protection against frost while the crop is still in the 

 field, is not regarded as a disadvantage. It may be added that the 

 higher the nitrogenous manuring, and the heavier the soil, the greater 

 is the tendency to produce a large amount of leaf ; and, moreover, the 

 larger the amount of leaf remaining vigorous at the time the crop is 

 taken up, the less fully ripe will be the roots, whilst, within limits, it 

 is desirable, with regard to the storing qualities of the root, that it 

 should not be too ripe. 



In the Rothamsted experiments ten courses, extending over forty 

 years, have been grown of swedes, occupying the first position in the 

 familiar rotation of roots, barley, clover (beans or fallow), wheat. The 

 results fully confirm those independently established, to the effect that 

 a very much larger proportion of the substance grown is accumulated 

 in the root than in the leaf than is the case with common turnips. In 

 fact, all the evidence goes to show that, whilst in the case of the 

 common turnips a very large amount of the matter grown only serves 

 for manure again, in that of the Swedish turnips a very small propor- 

 tion of the produce is useless as food for stock. 



Another plant closely allied to the turnip is RAPE, but in this case it 

 is the foliage, and not the root, which is the object of cultivation. 

 There are two kinds generally grown, the Dwarf and the Giant. The 

 former is employed very extensively on the chalk soils, where it is 

 often taken after a catch crop. The latter is more often grown on 

 stronger land, and produces immense crops on rich fen soils, where it 

 is taken as a main crop, as it occupies a full place in the rotation as 

 the fallow-crop. They may thus be said to take the respective places 

 of the turnip and the swede, and the cultivation is very similar. The 

 seeding of the Dwarf variety commences as early as the end of March 

 on the chalk soils, and, under these circumstances, it is fed off in 

 August, and is allowed to grow up again to produce spring feed. The 

 sowings continue until July, and are fed off in winter or spring as 

 desired. The Giant is not sown in the Fens as a rule until June, and 

 is fed off in September. It grows huge crops, which quite hide the 

 sheep, and are equal to a 20-ton crop of swedes for the amount 01 

 food they produce. It is occasionally transplanted, but more often 

 drilled. In the latter case it is either singled or not as may be 

 preferred. The crop has a special value in producing green food for 

 forward lambs, as when, in February and March, soft succulent food is 

 scarce, this is in good condition for feeding off. It is a crop the 

 cultivation of which is rarely imported into new districts, and the 

 breadth sown does not increase. The late Mr. George Sheldon of. 

 Low Fields, a well-known progressive farmer, introduced it with marked 

 benefit, as a seeding-down crop, to be fed-off by sheep in the autumn, 

 on the Carboniferous Limestone soil of North Derbyshire ; and it caused 

 at the time, about the middle of the century, quite a revolution in the 

 arable practices of the district. 



