101 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
November 10. 
of bulbous roots, a crop of Rape will often exceed in 
the acreable amount of nutrition that to be obtained 
from a crop of the different varieties of common Turnips. 
There are two varieties of Rape, the tall or long- 
legged, and the dwarf; the former is now nearly gone 
out of use, chiefly because the crop is now usually cul¬ 
tivated and hoed, similar to a crop of Turnips, and 
when treated in this way the tall variety would become 
so very strong in the stalk, that a large portion of the 
crop would not be consumed by the sheep, but would 
be left on the land, and prove an impediment in the 
after - cultivation for succeeding crops; whereas, the! 
latter, when sown upon land in a good state, and well ; 
manured, will, when thus managed, produce a most , 
abundant crop, having very largo and branching heads 
of greens upon a short stalk, which the sheep will eat J 
nearly close to the ground, if consumed at the proper 
period. 
The tall or long-legged sort, is best cultivated by 
broadcast sowing, when the greatest amount of food is 
required to be produced in the shortest time, and which 
is the object when late sown. It grows rapidly, and 
being thickly planted on the ground the crop will push 
up very high, yet the stalks will be neither large nor 
strong, and will be almost as readily eaten by sheep as 
the leaf itself; it will also retain the leaf, and continue 
its growth for a longer period than the dwarf variety; 
for it is well known that the great objection to a broad¬ 
cast crop of the latter is its tendency to drop the leaf, 
and die away very suddenly, either in very dry weather, 
or from the effect of early frosts. The dwarf disposition 
of the plant precluding its growth upwards, it soon 
becomes stunted, and as soon as the leaves begin to fall 
the value of the crop is rapidly depreciated. 
The above observations represent my own experience ! 
as to the value of each variety, and although I greatly 
prefer the tall kind for late sowing, yet I often find it 
difficult to obtain the seed, as farmers, in general, give 
the preference to the dwarf. 
The soil best adapted for the production of Rape is 
peat or moss land, but nearly every kind of soil will 
produce abundant crops if well cultivated and manured. 
It is not usual, however, to confine it (except in case of 
failure of root crops) to peat, high chalk, or strong clay i 
soils, chiefly on accouut of its peculiar capability for 
fitting and preparing the land for the succeeding Wheat 
crop. 
The preparation of the land is not so important an 
operation as it is in Turnip-culture; for, provided it be 
clean, and free from couch-grass and root-weeds, it need 
not be more than once ploughed, but it should be rolled 
and harrowed until a perfectly fine surface be obtained 
previously to sowing the seed. The manure most suitable 
for the crop is Peruvian guano, sown broadcast, at the 
rato of two cwt. per acre, applied after the plough, and 
harrowed in, and two cwt. per acre of super-phosphate 
of lime should be applied with the drill, for the purpose 
of accelerating the growth of the infant plant, and 
pushing it forward out of the reach of the fly and other 
enemies. In case the seed is sown broadcast, the whole 
application should be made of guano at the rate of 
three cwt. per acre. I consider guano the best manure 
which can be used for the growth of Rape; for, unlike 
the Turnip-crop, which will uot bear the application of 
strong ammoniacal manures without producing a super¬ 
abundance of leaf, yet, in the culture of this crop, it is 
all-important, an abundance of luxuriant foliage con¬ 
stituting its chief value. 
The time for sowing must depend, in a great measure, 
upon the period the crop may be required for use—any 
time from the month of April to the month of August 
may be selected. The quantity of seed, when drilled, 
should be about three pounds per acre; when sown 
broadcast, four pounds per acre will be none too much, 
because its enemies have more power over a broadcast 
than a drilled crop. The distance between the rows in 
drilling should be arranged in accordance with the 
requirements and state of the land; eighteen inches is, 
however, the best distance, unless the land is foul and j 
requires the constant use of the horse-hoe, when two j 
feet will prove the best width between the rows. 
lland-hoeing the crop is uot so important as in the 
case of Turnips, as it does not require so much nicety 
and regularity in singling out the plants; yet sufficient 
care should always be taken to cut up and destroy all 
weeds found amongst the crop; it should, also, be borne 
in mind that the harrows or drags ought to be used , 
across the drills previous to the hand-hoeing, which will i 
not only destroy weeds and assist the growth of the 
crop, but will enable the hoers to single the plants with 
more dispatch and greater regularity. 
It is often the case, when Rape is sown early, that 
after the sheep have eaten the crop, a second loliage 
will spring out of the remaining stalks, and produce a 
large quantity of food as a second crop, if allowed to 
remain a sufficient time; it is, however, never relished 
by the sheep like the first crop; and I would sooner 
plough shallow, and sow again as fast as the land is 
cleared, provided there is sufficient time to mature the 
crop previously to sowing AY heat or other grain, for it 
will be found that the crop obtained in this way is 
much more valuable and more palatable to the sheep 
than the produce of sprouts from the old stalks. Rape 
is often succeeded by Mustard, or Rape and Mustard 
mixed, as a second crop for lceding; and it must be 
admitted that Mustard feeds well in admixture, and is 
much safer food for poor and lean sheep than Rape 
alone. This crop being the most nutritious and forcing 
of all summer green crops, renders it the more dan¬ 
gerous, and often proves fatal to sheep, in considerable 
numbers, unless great precaution and care is used in 
the mode of feeding and folding the sheep. The animals 
ought never to be allowed to get too hungry previously 
to being admitted to daily allowance; and I find the 
safest plan is to drive the stock back a little distauce, 
about twenty minutes after they have been admitted to 
fresh food, and not allow them to return to it until the 
expiration of half-an-hour: the sheep do not become 
blown when mauaged in this way. 
Joseph Blundell. 
