22 RYE. 



Virginia Wheat is 2 weeks earlier than other kinds, and yields well. 

 Jones's Wheat of Pensylvania produces excellent white flour, stands 

 the winter well and resists the fly, but yields least of any. Spelt is 

 cultivated here and yields a brown but wholesome flour. We are 

 indebted to other countries for the grains, originally, Indian corn ex- 

 cepted, though we have produced many inestimable varieties. 



RYE Secale Cereale, C. 3, O. 2, Graminse, sp. 24. Ds. 



A. 3 ft. This grain is considered next in value to wheat, 

 in temperate climates. Its appearance in the grain and in 

 growing differs little from wheat. It is supposed to have 

 been brought originally from the Levant, though it has been 

 cultivated in Kurope from time immemorial. It has been the 

 least changed by cultivation of all domestic plants, nor has it 

 been found wild. It is much more common on the continent than 

 wheat, it being a more certain crop and requiring less manure and 

 culture. In Russia and Germany it is the bread corn ; it is also con- 

 siderably grown in the United States, but much less in England. It 

 sustains cold climates and grows in a greater variety of soils than 

 wheat, and arrives at maturity sooner; it also has a belter flavor, 

 though it is not so nutritious as wheat; still it is much used for bread. 

 A great part of this grain has been used heretofore for distilling 

 spirits. The straw is more durable than that of wheat and is used 

 for thatching, laying bricks, and other purposes in the arts. The flour 

 is much used mixed with that of wheat, the bread being cheaper and 

 by some preferred. Two centuries ago it furnished all the bread con- 

 sumed by the laboring classes in England. As food for cattle it is 

 sown in November and eaten early in spring. It is now much culti- 

 vated for an acid procured from it and employed by Tanners in a pro- 

 cess called raising ; by which the pores of leather are opened to 

 receive tannin the more readily. Parched and ground Rye is now 

 much used as a substitute for coffee, both here and in Europe. 



There are four species of rye, but the secale cereale is the only one 

 cultivated in this country. There are two varieties of this species, 

 the winter and spring rye. When sown with wheat the harvest is 

 termed meslin, mung corn, or monk corn, from its having been eaten 

 in monasteries. Next to wheat, it contains more gluten than any ce- 

 real grain. Five parts of every 100 consists of ready formed saccharine 

 matter, and hence it is easily converted into malt beer and ardent 

 spirit, though much inferior for the first purpose than barley. It yields 

 792 parts of soluble matter, of which 645 are mucilage, 190 gluten 

 and 38 sugar 1000. It contains from 70 to 79 per cent, of nutritive 

 matter; that of wheat being 95 with 19 parts of gluten. It passes 

 rapidly from the vinous to the acetous fermentation. All the grain 

 spirit of Germany, known as Holland, Geneva, #c. is made by the mix- 

 ture and fermentation of unmalted rye mixed with barley malt, in the 



