«tjlt¥re of rye. *p 



Culture of Rye. 



•There is no difference between what is called winter and 

 spring rye. Winter rye, by sowing it later and later each 

 year in the fall, will acquire a habit and quality by which it 

 may at length be sown in the spring, and then it is spring rye ; 

 or take spring rye and sow it very late in the fall, and then a 

 little earlier each succeeding year, and it will become confirm- 

 ed in the habit of winter rye. 



One circumstance favourable to the cultivation of this kind 

 of grain is, that it will grow year after year on the same soil 

 without exhausting it, provided the stubble be constantly plough- 

 ed under immediately after taking off the crops. Another cir- 

 cumstance peculiar to this plant is, that it will grow very well, 

 and produce the best grain for bread, on a thin gravelly soil, 

 and will flourish well too on the richest. 



There is an instance mentioned in the Farmer's Assistant, 

 of a gravelly soil being highly manured and sowed with rye, 

 in which the rye was twice successively eaten off close to the 

 ground by sheep breaking in, after it had acquired a height of 

 nine inclies the first time and six inches the latter. These 

 croppings, however, only served to make it grow thic ker and 

 stronger than before ; and when harvested, it produced at the 

 rate of one hundred and twenty eight bushels to the acre. 

 The author of the above account supposed that the crop would 

 have been lost by lodging, had it not been for the two succes- 

 sive croppings of the sheep, and suggests the expediency of 

 trying similar experiments with wheat. 



It has been remark'jd that winter rye may be sowed early in 

 the spring and used as pasture during the season ; and that it 

 may be sown at the usual tune, and serve for a sheep pasture, 

 a while during the next spring without injury to the crop. It may 

 also be'mowed down for hay two or three times during the sum- 

 mer, when sown in the eprmg. But in such culture the ground 

 should have much more seed than the usual allowance,which for 

 early sowing in the fall is about a bushel to the acre, or a 

 bushel and a half for later sowing. Spring rye it is believed 

 should have this latter allowance, and be sowed as early as 

 the ground can be well prepared. 



Rye, when it is intended for family use, should, if the weath- 

 er will admit, be harvested even as early as when the rye is 

 yet in the milk, and left to lie on the ground for some days to 

 dry and harden. By such management the grain will make a.-> 

 much whiter flour. . though perhaps not quite as heavy as 

 when it stands till it is fully rip©. 

 G 



