KANGAROO RAPE.
, ■ ■ AN, IMPROVED The following account .of';a' new'variety oi' rape" grown by a,iNew..South'Wales, farmer as recorded in tho "Australasian"'will prove interesting. reading: to 'New'. Zealanders:—■'.-. Kape is one: of tho plants'that those who.grow it. have not troubled to thrash for seed,- preferring the easier but more expensive method of purchasing year ,by year seed 'imported from England - and the Continent.: This; is undoubtedly a.: great mistake,'as "good rapo seed, grown and acclimatised .to Australian conditions,- would command, a far greater salo, at prices which ivould .weir repay' the cxponses of production, than that imported. - One farmer has, 'however, successfully raised a rapo seed or undoubted quality, .and of, more vigorous growth 'than, is to bo;found in any other variety, and "to which the name Kangaroo rape has been given.- Mr. Campbell; a dairyfarmer in the Currajong Hills, South.Gip'pslandj sbine .-five years, ago obtained a small quantity of .rape .seed from a friend.''Thiß was .planted, and showed such 1 phenomenal, that precautions- werb- taken' to savo "the seed from tho more vigorous plants. By aj-;careful system of- selection,'. it was: found that, in; a year or.two; what; was,- to all: intpnts. and purposes,-a greatly improved variety of.rapo, was established. .'lte.greater part bfthe by' Mr. Campbell has been taken ,up by neighbouring landholders, only, a very small quantity being-available for .'outside/sale. 'This .not?--, fodder, plant has, .created great interest, throughout-South Uippsland,. and ..some; of -the'-farmers 'who' ..havo, obtained, the, seedV have .planted experimental,' plot's" alongside the .'ordinary, dwarf 'Essex .-as a ;test;. :.; Messrs.: Bultner Bros.,anoVllr. Faulkner,, who havo properties : closo -.to Mr. Campbell, speak iri glowing terms .of' its •.prodigious, growth -and -high Some, of thoVseed'which was; planted; during'tho last ten -weeks has attained an average.height of 19iri';'.'.although:' for.'oho morith'bf thatfpe'riod of its "growth-! there was no-,rain to bring it on. \'i Samples which were shown, in a shop': window;at'Yarram arid .afterwards, placed -. in! "a dipper-!' of Iwater. ifor:.about oightoen hours showed' a new,growth of no.fewer'than 5in...-.Last year ;Mr..:Campbell' spired down ..28-.-4c'res''6n'-'av-erage. South'Gippslarid" chocolate 5 soil, ->with clay;.subsofl.r;::Thei:sc'rub.wa3-bnrrit'on January, :1908,.;pnd the groufidsdwn with'! cooks-' footj and; at? the- end- of April, after, being prepared;., : with Kangaroo! rape, tho .''cattle fffora"turned.'-on-tb.iit'..during 1 the winter,.'and were-.taken olf; towards the>-. latter-; part "-.of September, the rape.'.then": being,'; allowed to llowver and seed. It ; was\harvested.just after Christmas'.', "Where, the. cattle had', been' depasturing, the.xrop'. ayeraged'Tft.'.in.. height, and in. a ,fow„: places .where .they missed 'oat-" irig;the plants .it grew as high as lift.: AVhen threshed over .12 tons of seed "was bagged.: One .of the .characteristics -of ,the ; ' Kangaroo j.rapo is>the brittleness.'and. succuloncy, ofih.o'. Btalk, '.which, in;th"6-- case. ; df;«-th'o' ordinary" 1 variety, is. pliable,'but tough'.as/.leather.:. Its |:feeding properties, are. thus;/reridered much, greater,, and the.' flow,-bfiVmilk'-frbra, cows I which "havo been fed on; it/'had.. been'ifound. .to be'greatly the.rplants !; aro '-in .flower/;.'!no; .taint;is."givcn 1 to .either the.milk froin. it.'-.:'; Mr. Campbell. grdw'"his' r crop exclusively'. I for !cattle, : .pigs/and;'fO\ylSj; arid;for;tlia -seed;.: r.b^t..!s6ni6|of..-those:''.wh6.!!liaVe.Vgrown : .itWfor' sheep state;thatiiri: their experiencd' r rit'Jeas't •.^ .sheep-.'more'H&-;the;:acre. : .>3aii bo/faV ■f.tbned. than by thomse)df : ;the<dfdiriaryir!apoi! |-Tho. seed islslightly; 1 colonr... and ' form;.; as, tthe^ jAVhen .the .Kangaroo, l rkps, first; becainb known! soine sceptical: farmersVaverred' ; tbat--it .was i;',"rhousand-headed'.''KalojV: arid .'btli'ers':.stated I that. they : had/ grown!. dwarf /Essex.' sft! 'high, ! i.-bntvwhen',in!quiries/,were,mado regarding the' j.clasV.pf'landon whicKjit.,was;-.produced! it .was :,found vthay/iri:-..most,!instanc?s it wa?'. yery deep soil,: :nut;ra'infall.'llridependent.'pxperimentSj'.Hbw'bvGf, •have-'proved that' : .tße" i ;-Karigaroo! : 'i3; a true,* and that; it ,'caii! be - giWn!'-.in'-other.'.ldistribts Avith. equal success'.''. itijwo'uld; appear.:that' a"-fodder plant of .high value, pn : account'.of its .arid high / feeding properties, has;- been ■ ,'oyolvodj ani, ;'to. which ;;:thOso "at 'least give; a,.trial...; : .
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