ARID AGRICULTURE. 185 



be had for irrigation and there is not abundant 

 rainfall, it should be irrigated about twice./* The 

 first irrigation should be a thorough soaking 

 when the rye is in the "boot" or begins to 

 "shoot." The last irrigation may be given when 

 the rye is in the early dough stage to fill it and 

 make an abundant crop.^Rye will grow on 

 poorer soils than any other grain, and even un- 

 der most adverse conditions will give some kind 

 of crop. As yet there are no improved varieties 

 of rye on our markets. This grain has been 

 bred to great perfection in parts of Germany, 

 where single farmers have devoted years to grad- 

 ing and adapting special strain? of rye for their 

 localities and soils. 



<, De Candolle believes that Spelt w r as the corn, 

 par excellence of Pliny, which he said w r as used 

 as food by the Latins for 360 years before they 

 knew how to make bread.^ It has been cultivated 

 principally in Germany, where it is called Spelz 

 or Dinkel. Spelt, or Emmer, is one of the prim- 

 itive forms of wheat, but resembles barley in 

 character, as it is bearded and the grain is held 

 rightly in the chaff, little or none of it shelling 

 out when it is threshed. Spelt is receiving much 

 attention in this country as stock food. Much 

 is being claimed for it as a drouth-resistant 

 grain. The Xorth Dakota Experiment Station 

 reported that Spelt produced heavy yields, espe- 

 cially good results being obtained with home 

 grown seed. 



