KEEP THE PLOUGH GOING

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 2298, 17 November 1925, Page 5

KEEP THE PLOUGH GOING

THE VALUE OP RAPE MIXTURES. Some of the most important forage crops that can be sown this month are: rape, rape and mustard for early feeding, rape and Italian rye for early feeding, thousand-headed kale for later feeding. This crop can be left over, after being fed down for winter for feeding the following spring. A few early turnips can be sown any time from now on, also kohlrabi, oats and vetches. All of the above-named will come in for feeding in their respective seasons. Rape and Italian rye grass is a mixture that has become very popular among many farmers of late, and the merits of such mixture warrant its position in the rotation of forage crops. The rape is sown at fourteen inches as usual, while the Italian rye Is either broadcasted or sown through one or two coulters in each drill width The latter is preferable, as the grass gets direct benefit from the manure sown. The Italian rye not only increases the bulk of feed, but also acts as a corrective in a similar way to mustard sow r n with the rape, except that in the former there is obtained more useful all-round feed, as it does not bolt so readily as the mustard ■while the latter _is held in verv high esteem on account of its medicinal qualities as well as its feeding value. Oafs and Mustard With Rape.

When oats and mustard are sown with rape (an excellent mixture), the oats and mustard are inclined to beat the rape; that is to say, these fodder plants grow faster than the rape, and if the whole crop is not promptly fed as soon as the rape is ready they are apt to bolt Into shot-blade or to seed, as the case may be. To remedy this however, a few lambs may be put on to the crop just before the rape is maturing. The lambs pick out the oats and mustard without touching the rape. 1 .ambs do exceedingly well ■on this feed and it is very suitable for weaning a few lambs that one wants to push forward.

After the oats and mustard have been partially nipped off. the lambs should be taken off so as to allow the crop to come away again, so that, by the time the rape is ready for feeding the oats and mustard will have grown sufficiently to give a big yield for the general feeding.

Another excellent fodder crop, suit able for sowing with rape which is comparatively little known or seldom used as a mixture. is the common vetch; this crop produces most valuable feed, highly suited to lamb fattening, and is equally prized for feeding to other stock. Vetches have thit advantage over oats or mustard, and also over Italian rye in that the cro? is not quite so rapid in its growth, and therefore is ready to feed under favourable conditions at the same time as the rape.