192 NORTHEAST EXPERIMENT FARM. 
stock. The kernel resembles wheat but the husk adheres so 
closely that it cannot be separated in threshing and must be 
fed whole. It has nomarked advantages as a feed over bar- 
ley or oats, and unless the yield is greatly in excess of these, 
there is no reason for substituting it. So far the trials of 
speltz on the farm have not been encouraging. In ’96 it 
yielded 11 bu. per acre on a low price. In 1902 the yield was 
correspondingly poor. When the conditions under which it is 
grown are more favorable, the station will be in better posi- 
tion to report upon speltz, but itis well to go slow ona 
novelty until it is proved to better than what already exists. 
Winter Rye has been sown for six seasons and has never 
been injured by winter killing, not even in ’97-8 when the 
clover was injured. It may therefore be considered a per- 
fectly safe crop for this section. The rye sown has generally 
been either pastured or cutfor hay. In 1902 that which was 
threshed gave from 25 to 30 bushels per acre. The field 
yielded 24.7 bu. while the average of five plots was 30 bu. 
The only things to be avoided in growing rye are standing 
water in the fall, and late sowing. Late rains injured the 
crop of ’99 and ’00, greatly reducing the yield. As rye 
grows vigorously in the poorest soil, it should logically be 
placed upon well drained and light land, both to escape the 
water and tomake the best useof such soil. In this latitude 
rye may be sown, and has been sown for six years, as early 
as Aug. 15th, with no danger of its getting past the stool- 
ing period before winter. The plots sown in the fall of 1901 
were at different dates, ten days apart to test the effect 
of late sowing on yield. The results were not uniform, the 
largest yield being from that sown Sept. 16th, after which 
therewas a drop. But it was shown that rye could be sown 
at any time between these two dates, Aug. 15th—Sept. 15th, 
with success. One and one-half bushels of seed were used. 
If pastured, either for cows or sheep, it should be done before 
the shoots appear as it then matures rapidly and becomes 
woody and unpalatable. This date is here about May 12th. 
By the 18th it is apt to betoo late for pasturing. If cut for 
hay it will be ripe about June 10th and will give 1 to 1.5 
tons per acre. It makes good hay but at this season the 
