On the train from Manchester to London last week I saw fields and
fields of the same crop. Plants with tall (dullish) green stems (saw
someone in one of the fields and they were almost up to his shoulders),
fairly big leaves and a cluster of bright yellow flowers right on the
top. I was someplace South of Stoke when I saw them but in some places
these things went on as far as I could see into the distance. They
were planted in rows and (it seems to me) that they are therefore
cultivated. Pretty things to see which brightens up an otherwise
extremely boring journey.

Could anyone tell me what they are please?

TIA

Andy.

On 9/5/05 14:18, in article
,
" wrote:

On the train from Manchester to London last week I saw fields and
fields of the same crop. Plants with tall (dullish) green stems (saw
someone in one of the fields and they were almost up to his shoulders),
fairly big leaves and a cluster of bright yellow flowers right on the
top. I was someplace South of Stoke when I saw them but in some places
these things went on as far as I could see into the distance. They
were planted in rows and (it seems to me) that they are therefore
cultivated. Pretty things to see which brightens up an otherwise
extremely boring journey.

Could anyone tell me what they are please?

Rapeseed oil - gorgeous colour, isn't it? I think it's known as canola oil
in USA. You should see it planted next to a field of linseed - it almost
hurts your eyes!
--

Sacha
(remove the weeds for email)

In message , Sacha
writes
On 9/5/05 14:18, in article
. com,
" wrote:

On the train from Manchester to London last week I saw fields and
fields of the same crop. Plants with tall (dullish) green stems (saw
someone in one of the fields and they were almost up to his shoulders),
fairly big leaves and a cluster of bright yellow flowers right on the
top. I was someplace South of Stoke when I saw them but in some places
these things went on as far as I could see into the distance. They
were planted in rows and (it seems to me) that they are therefore
cultivated. Pretty things to see which brightens up an otherwise
extremely boring journey.

Could anyone tell me what they are please?

Rapeseed oil - gorgeous colour, isn't it? I think it's known as canola oil
in USA. You should see it planted next to a field of linseed - it almost
hurts your eyes!
I think the scent is rather nice as well although a lot of people don't
like it and an awful lot of people are allergic to the pollen.
My grandson on a visit to West Yorkshire said there must no proper
farmers because there was no yellow ground. Its a good job the farmers
there couldn't hear him :-))
--
Sue Begg
Remove my clothes to reply

Do not mess in the affairs of dragons - for
you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup!

Sacha wrote:
Rapeseed oil - gorgeous colour, isn't it? I think it's known as
canola oil in USA. You should see it planted next to a field of
linseed - it almost hurts your eyes!

Oilseed rape. Smells lovely, but not quite so nice as field beans.
When it's flowering, that is. When it's ripening it's quite another
matter.

On 9/5/05 15:07, in article , "Chris Bacon"
wrote:

Sacha wrote:
Rapeseed oil - gorgeous colour, isn't it? I think it's known as
canola oil in USA. You should see it planted next to a field of
linseed - it almost hurts your eyes!

Oilseed rape. Smells lovely, but not quite so nice as field beans.
When it's flowering, that is. When it's ripening it's quite another
matter.

Trust me to trip over my own tongue! ;-) By field beans do you mean broad
beans? I know some beans smell heavenly but don't know which.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)

Chris Bacon wrote:

Sacha wrote:

Rapeseed oil - gorgeous colour, isn't it? I think it's known as
canola oil in USA. You should see it planted next to a field of
linseed - it almost hurts your eyes!

Oilseed rape. Smells lovely, but not quite so nice as field beans.
When it's flowering, that is. When it's ripening it's quite another
matter.

The smell is obviously in the nose of the beholder. I reckon oilseed
rape smells horrible - and it is hell to walk through when a path
crosses a field of the stuff. I particularly don't like the little
pollen beetles it attracts that then invade our gardens when it finishes
flowering.

The flowers are a pretty luminous shade of lemon yellow and tend to grow
everywhere that seed is moved past including motorway verges. A field
full in full sun hurts the eyes. YMMV

Regards,
Martin Brown

In article , Martin Brown
writes
The smell is obviously in the nose of the beholder. I reckon oilseed
rape smells horrible

Agreed. Although I'm not sure that is quite vociferous enough. And,
like dogs, it smells even worse when wet.

--
regards andyw

Martin Brown wrote:
Chris Bacon wrote:

Sacha wrote:

Rapeseed oil - gorgeous colour, isn't it? I think it's known as
canola oil in USA. You should see it planted next to a field of
linseed - it almost hurts your eyes!

Oilseed rape. Smells lovely, but not quite so nice as field
beans.
When it's flowering, that is. When it's ripening it's quite
another
matter.

The smell is obviously in the nose of the beholder. I reckon
oilseed
rape smells horrible - and it is hell to walk through when a path
crosses a field of the stuff. I particularly don't like the little
pollen beetles it attracts that then invade our gardens when it
finishes flowering.

The flowers are a pretty luminous shade of lemon yellow and tend to
grow everywhere that seed is moved past including motorway verges.
A
field full in full sun hurts the eyes. YMMV

Strangely, I seem to find some fields smell nice, while others don't.
The ones that don't smell good make me sneeze. Is this a varietal
thing, or just a question of the stage of development? (FWIW, I find
the colour horrible in such large doses.)

--
Mike.

On 9/5/05 16:25, in article , "Chris Bacon"
wrote:

Sacha wrote:
"Chris Bacon" wrote:
Oilseed rape. Smells lovely, but not quite so nice as field beans.
When it's flowering, that is. When it's ripening it's quite another
matter.

By field beans do you mean broad
beans? I know some beans smell heavenly but don't know which.

They look very much like broad beans, but are grown for fodder (and
a high-protein source alternative to GM soya). The plants are left
'till the pods are black, which IMO gives a very unsightly crop.
On a hot day, when the flowers are out, and a slight breeze in the
right direction, there's a really heady smell.

Thanks for the explanation.
--

Sacha
(remove the weeds for email)

Sacha wrote:
"Chris Bacon" wrote:
Oilseed rape. Smells lovely, but not quite so nice as field beans.
When it's flowering, that is. When it's ripening it's quite another
matter.

By field beans do you mean broad
beans? I know some beans smell heavenly but don't know which.

They look very much like broad beans, but are grown for fodder (and
a high-protein source alternative to GM soya). The plants are left
'till the pods are black, which IMO gives a very unsightly crop.
On a hot day, when the flowers are out, and a slight breeze in the
right direction, there's a really heady smell.

In article ,
Chris Bacon writes:
|
| By field beans do you mean broad
| beans? I know some beans smell heavenly but don't know which.
|
| They look very much like broad beans, but are grown for fodder (and
| a high-protein source alternative to GM soya). The plants are left
| 'till the pods are black, which IMO gives a very unsightly crop.
| On a hot day, when the flowers are out, and a slight breeze in the
| right direction, there's a really heady smell.

They ARE broad beans! Field beans are just a less highly bred
form, and are smaller, tougher, and with more tannin in the skins.
I think that field beans are essentially the beans that were
a staple in Europe before Phaseolus vulgaris was imported from
the Americas. So, for a true mediaeval flavour, you know what
to grow :-)

I don't know when they separated from "el ful", but my guess is
a few millennia back.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Nick Maclaren wrote:
I think that field beans are essentially the beans that were
a staple in Europe before Phaseolus vulgaris was imported from
the Americas. So, for a true mediaeval flavour, you know what
to grow :-)

Erm, phaseolus vulgaris? French bean, surely? Vicia faber = broad
bean. I remember this as my "local" used to have three barmaids
named Phaseolus Multiflorus, Phaseolus Vulgaris, and later Vicia
Faber. These names were singularly appropriate, if not well-liked.

In article , Chris Bacon writes:
| Nick Maclaren wrote:
| I think that field beans are essentially the beans that were
| a staple in Europe before Phaseolus vulgaris was imported from
| the Americas. So, for a true mediaeval flavour, you know what
| to grow :-)
|
| Erm, phaseolus vulgaris? French bean, surely? Vicia faber = broad
| bean. I remember this as my "local" used to have three barmaids
| named Phaseolus Multiflorus, Phaseolus Vulgaris, and later Vicia
| Faber. These names were singularly appropriate, if not well-liked.

Yes, except it's faba not faber (feminine, meaning broad bean, not
masculine, meaning workman).

The staple bean of Europe up to the 15th century was V. faba, but
it was replaced fairly rapidly by the imported P. vulgaris, which
spread from the south. That is why it is called the French bean,
to distinguish it from the ordinary bean. Since then, the word
"bean" has moved to the more commonly eaten bean, and the older
ordinary bean has acquired the epithet "broad".


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Nick Maclaren wrote:
it's faba not faber (feminine, meaning broad bean, not masculine,
meaning workman).

Interesting, my old Sutton's (1960?) is wrong, then.

On 9/5/05 17:35, in article , "Nick
Maclaren" wrote:


In article , Chris Bacon
writes:
| Nick Maclaren wrote:
| I think that field beans are essentially the beans that were
| a staple in Europe before Phaseolus vulgaris was imported from
| the Americas. So, for a true mediaeval flavour, you know what
| to grow :-)
|
| Erm, phaseolus vulgaris? French bean, surely? Vicia faber = broad
| bean. I remember this as my "local" used to have three barmaids
| named Phaseolus Multiflorus, Phaseolus Vulgaris, and later Vicia
| Faber. These names were singularly appropriate, if not well-liked.

Yes, except it's faba not faber (feminine, meaning broad bean, not
masculine, meaning workman).

The staple bean of Europe up to the 15th century was V. faba, but
it was replaced fairly rapidly by the imported P. vulgaris, which
spread from the south. That is why it is called the French bean,
to distinguish it from the ordinary bean. Since then, the word
"bean" has moved to the more commonly eaten bean, and the older
ordinary bean has acquired the epithet "broad".

Aha! Hence 'fava beans' in some countries.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)