128 AMERICAN COW-GRASS.-ITALIAN RYE-GRASS.

perhaps more markedly the case with clover, than with any other description of crop.

AMERICAN COW-GRASS.

The American Cow-Grass, possesses properties in many respects very similar to the red clover, with the advantage of being a perennial plant. It does not, however, usually give so good a crop the second year; and, unless for the purpose of mixing with other grasses for permanent leys, it is never found superior to the red clover. The cow-grass may, however, be a good substitute occasionally, when the land becomes tired of growing clover. If you cannot have either red clover or cow-grass, as may sometimes happen when first entering upon an ill-managed farm, you may sow a crop of vetches, which are always useful.

ITALIAN RYE-GRASS.

The Italian Rye-Grass is extremely valuable, as well for its earliness, as for its great productiveness. It is consumed with avidity by all kinds of stock, and there are now few farms, of any extent, without a supply of it.

The Italian rye-grass, although valuable as an early grass, retains its powers of growth to a late period of the year, as many as four successive cuttings of it having been taken during one season. A patch of this grass, which had ripened its seeds, and was cut in November, on the 24th of December had attained a length of above a foot, notwithstanding some sharp frosts had intervened; thus showing a superiority over any other grass in producing winter herbage.

If sown on wheat stubble immediately the corn is removed, say early in September, it will be fit for soiling in May, and yield nearly as good a crop as if it had been so in the previous spring; provided the land is dry and in good condition, and that the stubble has been well worked. A little manure at the time of

sowing, will be of great use in forwarding the growth and increasing the yield of the crop.

Doubts have heretofore been expressed as to the duration of the Italian rye-grass, but these no longer exist; and the best authorities are now agreed in considering, that it has fully established its character as a perennial plant. About three bushels of seed are required for the statute acre; but it is necessary that the land should be well worked.

TARES, OR VETCHES.

Vetches, or Tares, are a valuable crop, for soiling and feeding cattle, which are fonder of them than clover, or any other green food: but when wet or foul, or too green and succulent, the stock fed on them are liable to violent colics, by eating too eagerly of this enticing food. To prevent this, the tares should be given in small quantities, and alternately with straw or hay.

When intended to be cut green for soiling, the seed sown should be at the rate of three bushels and a half per statute acre, and about a sixth or eighth part of oats or rye will be found a valuable addition to the crop. The seed should be put into the ground at intervals, from the end of March, to the end of May, so as to furnish successive cuttings for the soiling of the stock. The seed may be sown broadcast, or in drills, but the latter is always preferable; and after being harrowed in, the ground should be rolled, to allow of the free use of the scythe.

Loams and strong soils, which are clean, dry, and in good condition, will produce good crops of vetches without manure, as will also light or poor soils, if well prepared. A good crop of vetches may be obtained after wheat, on fertile soils, and the land will be benefited thereby. On light soils, it is advisable to sow vetches after turnips or other manured crops, and then to sow wheat afterwards, by which two good crops will be obtained; whereas, by sowing the wheat after the turnips, the crop is not always better or more certain,

and the land would not afterwards produce vetches, without manure.

On land intended for turnips or rape, if it be too wet for winter vetches, sow the spring vetch in February or March, which can generally be gotten off in time for a succeeding crop. When vetches are intended for soiling, the land cannot be too rich and strong; but light dry soils are most suitable, when the seed is intended to be saved.

Two ploughings are generally necessary for spring vetches the first between Michaelmas and Christmas, and the second immediately before sowing: but care should be taken to clean the land before sowing, as it cannot be so well done afterwards.

The winter vetch is generally sown in September and October, and the first sowing ought to be made as early as circumstances will admit. Successive crops should be sown from the middle of August to the end of October, in such quantities as may be required, to keep up a regular and constant supply of green food for your cattle. There is an early variety of winter vetch, which, if sown in August or early in September, will be fit to cut about the 1st of May, when food is most scarce. This variety is said to yield good crops, and is worth looking after. 2 bushels of the vetch seed, and 1 bushel of rye, are sufficient for an acre.

The spring variety, if sown in January, in a warm sheltered situation, will generally be fit for cutting early in June, and may be followed by turnips. Other sowings may be made in February, the beginning and end of March, and the beginning of April. That sown in the early part of March will be fit for cutting the middle of July, and that sown at the end of March will be fit for cutting in August. The quantity of seed will depend upon the period of sowing, the nature of the land, and whether it is intended to soil the crop, or to save it for seed. When grown for soiling, a greater quantity is necessary than if the crop is to be saved for seed. Under ordinary circumstances, however, it may be said that from 12 to 14 stone, with about 4 stone of oats or rye, per statute acre, is sufficient for

soiling purposes, and if intended for seed, 12 stone will be sufficient.

All farm animals are fond of vetches, and thrive upon them freely, and pigs will fatten upon them. They are well suited for milch-cows, causing them to give a good supply of butter; and they afford excellent feeding for horses.

The winter vetch, if sown in September or October, will be a very valuable food for cattle, particularly for sheep, early in the spring; and the best way is, to cut and carry it to the fields or folds where the sheep are kept. This prevents them from treading upon and breaking the stems of the plants, which they would do if allowed to eat the crop on the ground. For hay, vetches should be cut after the blossom has fallen off, and before the pods have made much progress.

RAPE.

Rape, will flourish on a wider range of soils than the turnip; it requires less cultivation and less manure, and may therefore be grown where the turnip cannot be profitably cultivated. Rape is generally used for soiling, or for feeding sheep; but it is also cultivated for the seed. It is so hardy, that sow or plant it when or where you will, it is sure to make a struggle for existence; and although any particular climate may not be favourable to its cultivation for seed, yet as a green crop for winter or spring feeding, rape is always valuable, yielding an abundant supply of nutritious food, at a season when turnips and mangel-wurzel are usually exhausted, and before the winter vetch, clover, or Italian rye-grass, are ready for use.

One great advantage of rape is, the facility with which it can be produced on inferior soils, on which an early crop may often obviate the necessity of a naked summer fallow; for the rape may be eaten upon the ground by sheep in the month of September, so as to admit of a crop of wheat being sown afterwards. It is also of great use in the process of reclaiming bog, and

other waste land. By sowing such lands with rape, and feeding it off with sheep, a proper mixture of useful grasses may be introduced, and the ground be thus brought to a state of permanent fertility.

Rape is particularly valuable to the farmer, affording a crop between harvest and spring. It will often yield a good cutting in October, when the frosts have stripped the clover of its leaves, and before the turnips are fit for use: and will come in afterwards in spring, when the turnips are exhausted, and before the winter vetches are sufficiently forward.

As an intermediate crop, rape may be cultivated in various ways. If the crop which it is to succeed is still on the ground, a seed-bed may be made in June, and the rape can be transplanted out, after the removal of the previous crop. If grown after vetches, the rape plants should be put in, ridge by ridge, as the vetches are cut, giving the ground a dressing of manure; but in a majority of cases, the vetches will be off the ground in time to sow the rape. Rape may in like manner succeed a corn crop, first ploughing and manuring the stubble. In Flanders, where rape culture is practised upon an extensive scale, the stubble is ploughed twice, and the rape plants are covered in by the plough, having been previously laid at proper distances upright in the furrow. This is an expeditious method, and is there found to answer well.

It is usual where clover has not been sown, to take a crop of rape after flax, the flax being always off the ground sufficiently early to allow of sowing the rapeseed, without having recourse to transplanting. In this case, after the flax stubble has been ploughed, and harrowed fine, the manure is laid on the surface, and a slight covering of mould thrown over it from the furrows; the seed is then sown at the rate of 15 lbs. to the statute acre, and covered with earth from the furrows. In this way excellent crops of rape are produced, which give five or six weeks' feeding at the worst season of the year, and the ground is left clear for a spring crop. Rape may also be sown without manure, on a stubble, on which a crop of turnips could not be expected; for