Thursday 16 May 2013

Rapes flowering. Attishoo!

Grumbling about the weather is a national pastime...It's not just us! After a heartfelt moan last night I realised that of every one else in this country we had less reason to grumble than most since we had our summer in February in equatorial climes!

Still we are moaning....it's cold, it's damp and because all the blossom, tree pollen and flowers are all out at once my hay fever is much much worse than usual. There has been no slow arrival at this point....everything is out!

In Lancashire I had summer colds.....In North Wales I was free from every allergy related problems....the air really was wonderful.

In Essex I lived near an agricultural college....intermittent attacks assailed me depending on what they were growing!

Rape has always affected me badly. I used to wake up sneezing right through the summer!

Living by the sea here in Cornwall I am mostly fine....but this year the fields around are full of rape....looking gloriously yellow and swaying like fields of corn in the wind. But it's making me cough, splutter, sneeze. I am using the asthma sprays more than ever before....and if its affecting me so badly I shudder to think what it's doing to the old and infirm.....ahem!

Do farmers still get massive subsidies for this crop? Why this year is it everywhere again? The problem is in the name. Rape. It sounds malignant because it is!

I have never bought rape oil or any product it may be included in.....

I can see that as a cash crop it provides a good income.....but a bit of wheat, or barley or almost anything else would be good too surely?

1 comment:

Revjeanrolt said...

Sorry Ray......I touched the wrong button and it rejected your post!
Hopefully this puts it right! I copied and pasted it instead!

You're right Jean, there is even more pollen in the atmosphere than usual and rapeseed is bad for we allergics.
It is however, a very good cattle feed and the oil is extremely rich in protein, better even than olive oil.
Since I no longer go out in cars and move only within a small area I am lucky that no fields are too close, but as I am a tree-pollen sufferer as well have had swollen lids (a nice shade of red) to my poor streaming eyes, a blocked nose punctuated with sneezes and a wheezy chest (so helpful to a singer) for about two months now.
Beconase and anti-histamines help, but this year is extra bad.
Sympathy and blessings.