Letham Shank Glossary

Common terms used in Agriculture and the Countryside.

Raddle

A sticky coloured paste applied to a ram’s belly at breeding time to enable served ewes to be marked. Sometime refers to a harness carrying a wax block which serves the same purpose.

Ragwort

A weed which is gaining in population due to it's being uncontrolled on roadside verges etc. It is poisonous to livestock when wilting and should be controlled.

Rhizome

A stem of a plant which grows underground in a horizontal manner producing roots and shoots at the nodes. Once these shoots establish the rhizome may be severed and the new plants will survive. Some rhizomes may also store food for the plant. See also Stolon.

Rhynchosporium

A particular problem on barley large oval lesions with brown margins spread all over the surface of a leaf if uncontrolled.

Rigg and Furrow

Undulations in pasture especially on clay soils due to land being cosistently ploughed in the same manner to give 5 or 7 yard 'riggs'. This assisted drainage but made travel with modern machinery more difficult.

Rod

A measure of distance equal to 1/4 of a chain or 5.5 yards. Also known as a perch.

Roller

Implement used to firm down seedbeds to give better soil/seed contact to improve germination. Also used to push down stones in cereals and grass to prevent damage to harvesting machinery.

Rotation

Changing crops in a field an an annual basis to maximise yield and minimise disease, soil damage etc.

Ruminant

A hoofed animal such as cattle, sheep, goats and deer with a complicated stomach of 4 parts rumen, reticulum, omasum, abomasum and which chew the cud.

Runoff

A general term applying to water which for many reasons remains on the surface of land and flows to the lowest point possibly causing erosion or leaching in the process.

Rust

A fungal disease of many plant species but a problem on cereals and beans. It removes green leaf area and drains the plant of strength reducing yield and quality.

Rye

Now a minority crop, rye will grow on poor 'hungry' soils. Resembling barley with awns but with a much taller straw it is still favoured in Eastern Europe.