GRAINS AND GROUND FEEDS 349 



down.' We have heard of but one instance where shotes 

 turned on it scoured. In this case the rye was very rank 

 and probably frost-bitten; however, no bad resuhs fol- 

 lowed, and the shotes soon became accustomed to it by 

 not being allowed to remain on it too long at first. We 

 would have no fears about turning on to green rye any 

 time during the fall, winter and spring that there is suffi- 

 cient growth and the land is in a condition not to 

 be injured by trampling. In its use from early growth 

 to maturity, it is our impression that it is best to use it 

 for pasture from the time that it will furnish a good 

 feed on till it begins to joint, taking the stock off then 

 and allowing- it to perfect a crop of seed that can be har- 

 \ested by the growing hogs preparatory to a finish of 

 four to six weeks on corn. 



''Some farmers regard it as wasteful practice to 

 gather the crop in this way, but we do not so consider it. 

 If harvested and profitably fed tc* stock of any kind, 

 rye must be ground. If fed whole, dry or soaked, hogs 

 will not masticate it properly on account of the hardness 

 before soaking and its tough nature after soaking. But 

 when feeding in the field they must also consume the 

 chaff and stem of the head, which, with the grass they 

 eat, makes digestion almost perfect. We have recently 

 noted the condition of the droppings from our pigs, and 

 we have seen no grains voided whole. By sowing rye and 

 allowing the hogs to gather it, the farmer avoids the 

 hea\y expense attending the harvesting of a crop of 

 wheat." 



According to the Danish experiments, returns from 

 rye shorts are very unsatisfactory, both as to general 



