THE COMMON CEREALS. 173 



will stand more abuse than wheat, oats or barley; 

 that is to say, it will grow better than any of these 

 when sown on soil not well prepared, poorly sup- 

 plied with plant food, and under adverse climatic 

 conditions. Rye will grow well on all soils pos- 

 sessed of high adaptation for wheat, oats or 

 barley. It will also give a fairly good return on 

 soils too light and poor to produce good crops 

 of those cereals. 



When these plants are grown in combination 

 the aim should be to grow them on soils generously 

 supplied with plant food. The value of a soiling 

 food is usually largely proportionate to the abun- 

 dance of the yield, hence the mistake of sowing under 

 conditions that do not give promise of an abundant 

 yield. One variety will find its favorite food in 

 such a soil and will appropriate the same. A second 

 variety will do likewise, and so with a third and 

 fourth. Since these appropriations draw in differ- 

 ent degrees on the same food elements, each is 

 enabled to get its share and thus to contribute to a 

 large aggregate yield. In growing these crops as 

 green food, it should be remembered that since the 

 object is to get a large amount of green food with- 

 out regard to grain production, the best soiling 

 crops will be obtained on lands too rich for the high- 

 est grain production. 



Place in the Rotation. These crops may be 

 given almost any place in the rotation, since they are 

 cut before weeds can ripen in their midst. A foul 

 condition of the land at the time of sowing, though 

 objectionable, is not so seriously objectionable as in 

 growing some other crops. These crops may be 



