92 



Campbell s 1902 Soil Culture Manual. 



is cut. It can be pastured in the late summer and even into the early 

 winter as it is not effected by ordinary frost and is only killed by severe 

 freezing. 



In Nebraska rape seed can be sown broadcast on winter wheat land 

 at the rate of about two pounds of seed per acre. If sown late in April, or 

 when the wheat is two or three inches high in the spring, and harrowed 

 in, it will make a slow growth under cover of the wheat or rye and when 

 the crop is cut will then come on rapidly if any moisture remains in the 

 soil. 



Rape may be sown with oats in the spring at the time of seeding, but 

 it is better to sow broadcast when the oats are two or three inches high 

 and go over the field with a smoothing harrow. This kills the weeds but 

 does not injure the grain. It also covers the rape seed and, by breaking 

 up the crust on the ground, saves moisture for the crojj. 



Eape may be sown in the cornfield before the last cultivation, and, 

 if there is suflBcient moisture to germinate the seed, it will often come on 

 and produce fine fall pasture. This can be eaten ofi" by lambs without 

 destroying any considerable amount of corn. The lambs will eat the rape 

 and the weeds and lower leaves on the corn but will not break down or 

 injure the ears of corn unless they are lying on the ground. 



RAPE A VALUABLE CROP. 



In the states of Minnesota and the Dakotas the profit on the rape 

 crop, grown as a second crop after wheat or oats, has often been equal to 

 the profit on the main crop. Sheep, pasturing on rape sown in stubble 

 fields, eat all weeds and scattered grain as well as the growing rape. They 

 clean these fields of weeds so that the land is much cleaner for the suc- 

 ceeding crop than though sheep had not been there. 



With a good stand of rape in a stubble field you can usually turn the 

 stock on about three weeks after cutting the grain crop. Such a field will 

 support ten or fifteen sheep per acre and keep them growing for six weeks. 

 I have known many instances where sheep have produced one hundred 

 pounds gain in weight per acre on rape in stubble fields. This gain was 

 worth four or five dollars on the market and was clear profit. I have 

 reason to believe cattle might be made to do nearly as well where rape was 

 used to supplement other pasture, or where a little hay or straw was fed 

 to neutralize the succulent effect of the rape. 



CAUTIOX AGAINST BLOAT. 



There is some danger from bloat in turning animals on rape pasture, 

 especially if they are accustomed to it and eat it greedily at first. It is 

 best to have prairie or tame grass pasture connected with the rape field or 

 at first to have a feed rack with hay or straw accessible. It is also safer. 



