Rape

Plant Characteristics

Cultivation

Scientific Names

Read about Rape in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Rape (Brassica Napus). Fig. 3345. In recent years rape has become an important forage plant. The name rape includes several varieties which are grown for two purposes: (1) for seed from which oil is expressed; (2) for the purpose of furnishing animals with succulent feed during late summer and autumn, when pastures become bare. Varieties used for the latter purpose usually do not produce seed in this climate the same season, though they are usually classed with annuals. Dwarf Essex is an example of the kind used for soiling (green feeding) purposes. Rape is of considerable importance to the fruit-grower as a cover-crop. The seed germinates readily, will often grow where a clover catch is impossible, and furnishes excellent sheep pasturage late in the season. When grown strictly as a soiling plant, the tops are cut and hauled to the feed-lot or stable. Dwarf Essex rape much resembles a rutabaga turnip at first. It is like a rutabaga with an exaggerated leafy top and without a swollen fleshy root. Rape is a cool-weather plant and may be grown in almost any part of the United States by sowing it at the proper time. As a cover-crop in the orchard in the East it may be sown as late as September 15 with good results. It is an excellent pioneer plant in the work of renewing humus in worn- out lands. In the Middle West, where shade is needed, rape is used as a nurse plant for clover when the latter is sown in orchards in midsummer. Turnips may be used for the same purpose. John Craig. The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

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References

• Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963

External links

• w:Rape. Some of the material on this page may be from Wikipedia, under the Creative Commons license.
• Rape QR Code (Size 50, 100, 200, 500)