better results will be obtained by seeding the crop alone on fertile clay loam 

 or black soil, sowing either in drills 30 inches apart and at the rate of 2 

 pounds per acre, or broadcasting at the rate of 3 pounds per acre, covering 

 about half an inch deep. The crop will be ready for pasturage within 50 to 60 

 days from seeding, and on good soils will furnish 20 to 30 tons of green forage. 4 

 An acre of rape on good land will furnish pasture two or three months for 

 about 20 hogs or as many lambs fed light grain rations in addition. Dwarf 

 Essex rape is the variety to grow. Cattle and sheep should be gradually ac- 

 customed to rape, and well filled up on other feed before turning in to graze, 

 otherwise they may bloat. 1 



BUCKWHEAT. 



This is a quick-growing crop, maturing seed in about TO to 75 days from 

 the time of seeding. It is chiefly valuable as a grain crop for poultry and 

 hogs, though the ground middlings make rich protein feed for dairy cowa 

 For horses the ground grain may constitute about one-third of the grain ration 

 and when so used is considered equal in feeding value to oat?;. As forage it 

 may be used as a soiling crop for dairy cows, having considerable value for 

 this purpose. Of the three varieties commonly grown — Japanese, Silver Hull, 

 and Common — Japanese has usually given best results and is recommended for 

 the West. Seed 2 to 3 pecks per acre, either in drills or broadcast, covering 

 2 to 3 inches deep. While buckwheat will do better on poor land than some 

 crops, it gives best results on well-prepared, fertile soil. The crop is easily 

 killed by frost. 



RYE. 



This crop can be sown in the standing corn at the last cultivation in July and 

 will afford considerable pasturage for all stock. It is often thus sown either 

 alone or mixed with rape for lambs or sheep being fattened for market. If 

 seeded on especially prepared ground the crop will come on much earlier and give 

 considerably more fall feed. Seed at the rate of 1£ bushels per acre. In pas- 

 turing cows on rye the change from other feeds to rye should be gradual to 

 avoid possible taint of milk. Winter varieties of wheat if sown at once will 

 also afford a large amount of fall pasture. 



CORN. 



Every farmer knows the value of corn as a supplement to a pasture crop late 

 in summer, for which purpose it may be used for cattle as soon as it is tassel ed 

 out and for hogs as soon as the ears have reached the roasting stage. Not so 

 many realize that an acre of corn stover — the crop left standing after the ears 

 have been taken — is as valuable for feeding to cattle and horses as an aero of 

 timothy hay. Ton for ton, corn stover has nearly the same feeding value as 

 timothy. With a short hay crop, therefore, every effort should be made to care- 

 fully handle the corn crop. The feeding value in the stalk and loaves of the 

 corn plant increases up to maturity, but if the stalks are allowed to stand in the 

 field after ripening there is considerable loss. This loss at the Iowa Experiment 

 Station two months after ripening amounted to more than one-half of the value 

 of the stalk. 



Investigations show that of the feeding value of corn stover about 27 per 

 cent is in the stalk and loaves above the ear. 26 per cent in the husks, and 47 

 per cent in the stalk and blades below the ear. When left standing in the held 

 many of the 1 lower leaves dry it]) and are blown away or beaten down by rains 

 into the ground and lost. Farmers are urged to cut corn for grain as soon as 

 the ears are well dented and a few dry blades appear. Thus handled the maxi- 

 mum feeding value of the crop with reference both to grain and stover will be 

 secured. Put the corn in good-sized shocks and after husking em the ears put a 

 number of shocks together. Large shocks lose less food constituents by weather 

 and fermentation than small shocks. If the stover is put into the barn it must 

 be thoroughly dry to prevent molding. Except for convenience o\' handling it 

 is not accessary to shred corn stover, as apparently its feeding value is little if 

 any increased thereby. By cutting and shocking the feed value o\' stover is in- 

 creased one-third to one-half over what it would be if left standing in the field. 

 With a short hay crop this loss should be obviated by gathering and shocking 

 the corn. 



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1 See also P. s. Dept. Agr. Farmers' Bulletin No. Kit. Rape ::* a Forage Crop. 

 [(Mr. 36] 



