574 AGRICULTURE. 



M. DeCandolle says that a M. Koch, who has traversed Anto- 

 lia, Armenia, the Caucasus, and Crimea, affirms that he has found 

 rye under circumstances where it appears to be really spontane- 

 ous and native. On the mountains of Pont, in the country of 

 Hemschin, upon granite, at an elevation of 5000 or 6000 feet, he 

 found our common rye alongside the road. It was thin in the 

 ear, and about one to two and a half inches long. No one 

 remembered that it had ever been cultivated in the neighbor- 

 hood, and it was not even known as a cereal. 



It is cultivated to the north of Europe, in Scandinavia, on the 

 western side to the parallel of latitude 67 N.; and on the eastern 

 side to latitude 65 or 66 N. In Russia, the polar limit of rye 

 is indicated by the parallel of latitude 66 30'. It is extensively 

 cultivated in Europe, forming the chief part of the bread of 

 Germany, Poland, Russia, Switzerland, and other countries. In 

 Great Britain and the southern countries of Europe it is little 

 used. In America, it does not appear to be grown in Pembina, 

 on Red River, in the Hudson Bay Territory, latitude 47 N., 

 though wheat, barley, maize, tobacco, potatoes, etc., are culti- 

 vated with profit. It was introduced into the North American 

 colonies soon after their settlement by the English ; into Nova 

 Scotia, 1622; into New England, 1648; and into South Virginia, 

 previous to that year. 



It is grown, more or less, in all the States except California 

 and New Mexico. 



It has been chiefly used for distilling and for feeding stock, 

 though bread is made of it in some localities. 



There is only one cultivated species, but several varieties, 

 common, multicole, St. John's Day, Siberian; also spring, winter 

 and southern. 



Of the common kind nothing need be said. The multicole 

 (many-rooted} was introduced into this country by means of the 

 Patent Office, about 1844-45. It was found to produce heavy 

 crops and to stool out very perfectly 10 to 20 stalks growing 

 from every seed. It also appears to be well adapted for high 

 northern latitudes. The St. John's Day is a native of the 

 Italian Alps, and was introduced into England about 1840, for 

 soiling purposes. The seed is very small, dark, and hard, but 

 the straw grows with great rapidity, and to a great height, 



