180 THE SOILS AND CROPS OF THE FARM. 



yet very large. It has been estimated at about 1,200 

 million bushels, or about three- fifths that of wheat. 

 One- half this quantity is raised in Russia, while 

 about five-sixths of all the rye raised in the world is 

 raised in Russia, Germany and Austro-Hungary. 

 Russia raises more rye than the United States does 

 wheat. In France and England it now holds a sub- 

 ordinate position. 



The average annual acreage in the United States 

 during the past decade has been only about two 

 million, or a trifle less than that of barley, with an 

 average yield per acre of 12 bushels, at 62 cents per 

 bushel, making the least average value per acre of 

 any of our cereals, considering the grain only. Penn- 

 sylvania, New York and New Jersey raise over one- 

 fourth this quantity, while Illinois, Wisconsin, Kan- 

 sas, Iowa and Nebraska raise about one-half the crop. 

 In the eastern states especially the straw is an im- 

 portant item in its culture. Near the large cities it is 

 put to various uses which are made of straw, particu- 

 larly where long, straight, unbroken straw is needed. 

 The manufacture of paper from rye straw is also an 

 important item, a paper mill becoming the center of 

 its culture for this purpose. A ton of straw is an or- 

 dinary yield per acre, and ten dollars is a common 

 price per ton in eastern paper, mills. 



The use of the grain is confined almost entirely to 

 the making of bread and spirituous liquors. Fifteen 

 to 20 bushels per acre is a fair, and 20 to 30 a good 

 crop, for most parts of the country. 



In the western states rye is frequently grown 

 where winter wheat is a precarious crop, as it is an 

 advantageous distribution of labor to sow a fall crop, 



