R A 1' 



R A P 



On the whole, it is ftatcd, that the laft fowing in July 

 afforded confuUrably greater produce than the firlt, for the 

 plained reafon, that tlie earlier we fow this feed, the fooncr 

 it runs ; and tonfitiueiitly affords the lefs produce for the 

 purpofe of foddering cattle in the yards for making dung, 

 and feems to account very flrongly for the llatc of the iirft 

 experiment. 



And the double rows produced uniformly more than the 

 fingle rows ; and indicate that the double are to be pre- 

 ferred in drilling rape for foddering cattle. 



The following trials are on fowing rape-feed broad-caft. 

 On the 24th of July two acres were fown broad-caft, with 

 ten pounds of feed to each acre, in the fame field where the 

 other experiments were carried on ; but the foil not fo 

 ftiff by a good deal, has abundantly fewer loofe ftones'in it, 

 is very fhallow, and poor, to an incapability of producing 

 any thing to profit, without great alliilance of manure. 



In July he manured it with the dung of his yard, confift- 

 ing of that of horned cattle, horfes, and fwine. The 

 drcfling was indeed very high ; about two fmart one-horfe 

 cart-loads to a perch. He having ever found that one acre, 

 highly improved, is much more valuable than five imperfeftly 

 handled, was the reafon why he gave this poor piece fo liberal 

 a drefTing. 



The rape came up but flowly for a time, as he finds to 

 be the nature of the plant', but at length it fliot forward, 

 and flouriihed away : but in winter it met with a fate which 

 he was not aware of, nor did he expeft. The wood-pigeons 

 lay upon it prodigioudy, and did it great damage. Some 

 plants he obferved in the froll to appear as if they had been 

 finged : whetiifr that was owing to the wounds given by 

 the birds, and thereby giving the froft the greater force, or 

 whether it was owing entirely to the feverity of the froft, is not 

 in his power to determine. However, very early in the fpring 

 this rape fiiot forward, and as the days lengthened the vifits 

 of the pigeons were lefs frequent, until they totally left it. 



From this rape breaking out into bloflom fooner than he 

 expected, he is inclined to believe that the 24th of July is too 

 early to fow it for the purpofe of foddering cattle in the yard. 

 However, early in April he began to mow this rape for 

 the horned cattle, fuch as cows, plough bullocks, young 

 cattle, calves, and fwine. They all ate it with the greateft: 

 eagernefs, and were foddered with it every evening, until 

 the 19th of May inclufive, and wheat ftraw in a morning, 

 fave four calves of the preceding year ; and they were fod- 

 dered twice a day with rape, and had ftraw before them alfo, 

 and throve upon it vaftly better than the other cattle ; for 

 no other reafon, he believes, than becaufe they were allowed 

 more than the others : in fhort, they were in fuch order, that 

 he dares believe the butchers would have been glad to have 

 had them for killing. 



He obferves, that he need not tell the farmer how necelfary 

 it is to be frugal of provender in an liarfli dry fpring, ae the 

 laft was, when he was like to be hard run with forty head of 

 caitle, many of which he (hould actually have been obliged 

 to fell at fo improper a leafon, had he not been podeffed of 

 thefe two acres of rape. He adds, that there is yet another 

 circumtlance which renders this a truly valuable fodder. 

 Thcnnlk of the cows increafed prodigioufly ; and the milk 

 and butter were as good, fweet, and well-flavoured, he thinks, 

 ill every particular, as ever he tafted in June. Even the 

 cream for the tea appeared to be perfedfly free from any 

 foreign flavour. The cows got hay every day, in the fame 

 manner as he has in former years mentioned them to have, 

 when feeding upon cabbages. 



The fimplicity of the culture for rape, for the purpofe 

 of feeding cattle, he cannot but think a particular recom- 

 mendation to the farmer, and the cheapnefs of the feed 

 in purchafc, or the eafe with which he may raife it, are 

 objefts which cannot fail, he thinks, of being perfuafive to 

 him. And all perfons, w ho have annexed to their farms any 

 bog, or other wafte ground, the improvement of which can 

 be executed by burning, might furely raife fuch quantities 

 of rape for the purpofe of mowing pafture, as would enable 

 them to keep almoll any number of cattle ; by which they 

 would not only be bringing in the wafte land, but making 

 that the foundation of improvement to their found land, by 

 the immenfe quantities of dung they might raife by this means 

 from the wafte land. Here the advantage to the cultivator 

 would be double. 



On the tirft day of May he had four perches of this rape 

 meafured out for weighing. It was mowed, immediately 

 drawn home, and weighed. The four perches afforded feven 

 hundred and two quarters : multiplying this by forty, (hews 

 the acreable produce to be fifteen tons. The quantity in- 

 deed bin fmall. However, the feafon in which it is to be 

 had renders it more than ordinarily valuable, and, he thinks, 

 bids fair to make it an objedt of huftsandry, as a pafture for 

 cattle. 



This year, 1770, Mr. Baker ploughed up fix acres of 

 wheat ftubble, as foon as the wheat came off, harrowed it down 

 the 1 2th, 13th, 14th, and 15th of September, then fowed 

 rape-feed over the whole field, and gave it a hght bufh har- 

 rowing. The rape came up very thin, and made fo poor an 

 appearance in the fpring, that he ploughed up the field, and 

 fowed fpring corn. Thif is a itrong indication that but 

 little is to be expefted from fowing rape upon wheat ftubble ; 

 becaufe after the wheat comes off it feems to be too late in 

 the year to fow rape. But fomething may be charged, as he 

 obferves, to the natural moifture of the foil. See Cole. 



The following is the recapitulation of his experiments ob 

 rape, as pafture for cattle. 



Exp. I. April fowing. 



11. Ditto tranfplanted. 



III. July 18, fowing. 



July 24. 



IV. Ditto 



Ran, not anfwering the purpofe. 

 Ran, but not fo foon as the other. 



f Single rows produced per acre 

 \ Double rows ditto 

 f Single rows ditto 

 ■[Double .... 



Broad- caft ditto ... 



V. September fowing on wheat ftubble ditto 



Rape is a great deal cultivated in fome diftrifts in the 

 county of Effex for the feed. The fy ftem is very profitable, 

 but this fort of crop is found to draw or exhauft the land a 

 good deal. It is thought by fome to prepare well for wheat, 

 efpecially when fed off upon the land. In fome places they, 

 however, confider it more beneficial to till, after this crop 



has been feeded for fpring corn, than to put in wheat, which, 

 however, is flill the moft common praftice. Clover would 

 certainly be better than either method. 



In other places they conceive that feeding rape is much 

 on the decline, from the general experience, that it leaves 

 the beft prepared lawd in an unfavourable ftate for oats and 



clover. 



