RAPE OR KALE?

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 485, 19 April 1909, Page 6

RAPE OR KALE?

THE VERDICT OF THE SHEEP.

(To THE EdITOE.) Sir, —Apropos of your recent remarks on rapo v. kalo, I am sending you a signifieant photograph. In drilling 120. rows of kale, I pnt rape seed in one tin for the last seven rounds. They grew in beauty side by side, and a man on a galloping horse would have noticed no difference. The paddock was a long and narrow one, and I simply opened a gate at the end remote from the rape and admitted some two-tooth rams which had been on kalo the previous summer and again in the spring. The photograph shows that they found thoso soven rows of rape and ate them out root and branch, leaving the kale untouched. Now, I accept the verdict of those sheep against all tho chemical analyses, and laboratory reports you can bring me. I onco imported some really marvellous oats—or so I thought, and so did every farmer who saw them. ■ They think they can grow oats in Otago and Southland, so I sent somo to the Dunediu winter show. I was not there, but the "Otago Daily Times" reported that out of twelve entries mine stood out by themselves. As soon as , I could sparo some for my own use —for they sold like hot cakes—l cut up some sheaves into liberally tho finest chaff I over clapped eyes on. • And my horses at once went off their feed, and fell away, until I noticed one

of them in a friend's stable wolfing some very ordinary stuff indeed. Once these splendid, oats—l have since seen them advertised at nine shillings a bushel in New Zealand—were cleared out (and I got slashing money-for the chaff), my horsbs picked up at once. I asked no questions or horses or sheep, and the'leading fat lamb producer, in New Zealand, on seeing the photograph, thanked, me warmly for saving him from wasting, a season with kale/. Mind, I do not dogmatise. I regard Devonshire, Grey stone as a. good soft and early turnip , for lambs in April or May. After that I expect-them to become woolly, woody, and useless. ' But an Otago fanner sued;a.firm for damages in that they sent him: something, instead of Greystone, which ho-relied upon for August. Soil, climate,: and locality go for a great deal. I merely suggest that if any farmer is thinking of forsaking rape for kale he might reverse ;'my experiment by sowing,a few rows of kale in a paddock-of rape.- Sheep or cattle of any ago will give him an unbiased and unqualified' opinion about them.—l am, etc.,' ■ : *: : .:: :. ■■■ GRAZIER.

The sheep preferred the Tape. This 1 photograph was sent to The Dominion by an experienced grazier, to show how sheep ate down'the rows of rape and entirely ignored tho kale growing alongside. In the foreground of the picture there is one plant of kale growing in the row of rape. The manner in.whioh the sheep passed it by .is .striking;.-v • ~-.' /•', v~ V '■:{;. ■'~ ' :■.", '■.