86 FARMING ON FACTORY LINES 



well-developed tillering capacities, the kind o! grain 

 sown being varied according to the time of the year, 



For very early sowing the writer's experiments 

 indicated that, of all kinds of cereals, rye is the best. 

 This he has successfully sown as early as June 20th; 

 has cut it for green soiling in early September; cut 

 it again for the same purpose in mid- April; and again, 

 as a grain crop, in early August, thus obtaining two 

 soiling crops and a grain crop from the one seeding 

 within the year. 



Rye cannot be cut twice in the manner indicated, 

 except on very rich land, but it is generally better !o 

 be content with grazing an early-sown crop with young 

 stock, or better still, with sheep in autumn and 

 spring. 



Further, sowing as early as June, except under 

 unusual circumstances, such as the reclaiming of 

 waste or mountain land, or after early potatoes in 

 favoured localities, is not recommended. In ordinary 

 practice, or in ordinary rotations, seed hay would 

 not be cut and carted early enough to permit of 

 such early sowing. The variety of rye which seems 

 best for early sowing is the Giant Essex rye. 



SUMMER- SOWN OATS 



So far the writer has made no experiments with 

 oats sown earlier than August 1st. Oat crops sown 

 on or after that date nave* proved very successful, 

 wherever the conditions previously referred to have 

 obtained. The most suitable variety of oats for early 

 sowing so far has proved to be the common winter 

 tawny oats. This oat is very hardy, and has a 

 wonderful capacity for tillering. 



