Small Grains 151 



be prevalent. Two smuts^ attack oats, loose smut and covered 

 smut. In the former the panicles of the plant become masses 

 of black spores. The covered smut does not attack the glumes, 

 only the oat grains. These smuts are controlled by the formalin 

 treatment described for stinking smut of wheat. 



RYE 



76. Distribution and characteristics of rye. Europe is the 

 principal rye-producing country, supplying about nine-tenths 

 of all the rye grown in the world. North America is second, 

 growing about one thirty-eighth as much as Europe. Asia 

 is third and Australasia fourth, each with small quantities 

 when compared with Europe. In Germany and Russia much 

 more rye is produced than wheat. The United States produces 

 less than 3 per cent of the rye crop of the world. The heaviest 

 rye-producing states are Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, 

 and New York. The bulk of the production is in the eastern 

 half of the country. 



Rye resembles wheat in its botanical characters, is used for 

 similar purposes, and is cultivated in much the same manner. 

 It grows somewhat taller, the stems often reaching a height 

 of six or seven feet with the spike six or seven inches long. 

 Both winter and spring varieties are grown. 



77. Uses of rye. The principal use of rye is in the making 

 of flour for bread. Much more rye bread is consumed in 

 Europe than in America. Rye is also used in the making of 

 whisky and the grain is a valuable stock feed. Green rye 

 is used as a soiling crop and as pasture. Winter rye is one 

 of the earliest green forage crops to be ready in the spring. 

 If it is not too ripe when cut, rye makes fairly satisfactory 

 hay. The straw, however, is not of much use as roughage 

 for live-stock. It makes excellent bedding and is used largely 

 in the manufacture of hats, paper, baskets, matting, pad- 

 ding of horse collars, and as packing material for glass- 

 ware. As a green-manure crop, rye is of considerable im- 



