GREEN CROPS FOR SHEEP. 435 



adapted to the improvement of the land. Its seed has long 

 been used for the production of rape oil; and the rape 

 cake, so much used by English feeders, is the refuse of the 

 seed after the oil has been expressed. Many estimate the 

 labor in producing a crop of rape as about the same as that 

 required for a crop of wheat. There can be no doubt of its 

 success on the deep rich prairie soils of the West ; and when 

 stock-feeding on these lands shall be conducted for the pur- 

 pose of preserving their fertility, as well as for profit, this is 

 likely to become one of the most important crops. It has 

 greatly the advantage of the turnip, beet, or carrot, on ac- 

 count of its richness in albuminoids, thus supplementing 

 this deficiency in the corn crop, and on account of its easier 

 cultivation. Being a deep-rooted plant, it will recover 

 very quickly after feeding off by sheep, and soon fur- 

 nish a second growth of stalks and leaves for the same 

 purpose. It is certainly worthy of a careful trial. 



ENSILAGE FOR WINTER FEEDING. 



Sheep are extremely fond of succulent food, and one of 

 the difficulties encountered by the sheep-feeders during our 

 long winters is the want of a due proportion of green food. 

 The recent invention of the improved silo, for the preser- 

 vation of green, succulent food for winter use, will wholly 

 remedy this defect in winter sheep-feeding. Every descrip- 

 tion of green crops may be preserved in silo, for winter 

 use ; and as the sheep is particularly fond of variety in its 

 food, and will travel over a large field, most industriously 

 selecting the greatest variety within its reach, the silo ena- 

 bles the feeder to gratify this appetite of the sheep. If a 

 large variety of grasses is sown upon our meadows, they 

 may all go into the silo together; thus not only gratifying 

 the appetite, but greatly adding to the thrift of the sheep. 

 All the crops we have mentioned as appropriate for feed- 

 ing off upon the land are also appropriate for preserving in 



