84 RYE 
circulation of air into it, and it becomes warm and 
sweet. 
Soil is never soured by plowing under green crops if 
it is well drained, and is thoroughly rolled and pulver- 
ized. 
Next to draining and ventilating, sour soil needs 
feeding organic matter. A fertile soil is never sour. 
While rye is one of the most valuable of forage 
plants, yet it is equally as valuable for fertilizing pur- 
poses. If your soil needs cleaning, sow rye. It gathers 
food in the soil and makes fine growth on poor soils. 
It is especially adapted to sandy lands and will grow 
well on stiff clay lands if they are well drained. 
The author knows of a farm that has been restored 
and built up with rye until it produces the best corn 
crops of any farm in the neighborhood. The owner 
always sows rye for plowing under for his corn crop. 
His rye crops plowed under helped his land in holding 
moisture in dry seasons, which, as I stated, is contrary 
to general belief. 
The farmers have a wonderful weapon in rye to aid 
in combating soil exhaustion, and it is so easily and 
cheaply grown. From one to two bushels of seed at 
a cost of from 70 cents to $1 per bushel will seed an 
acre, and the labor and cost of seeding in corn or after 
wheat is insignificant. 
We who are sentimentally inclined delight in the melo- 
dies of the Scottish love lyric, “ Comin’ Thro’ the Rye,” 
humming its words: 
“Tf a body meet a body, comin’ thro’ the rye, 
If a body kiss a body, need a body cry?” 
