THE COMMON CEREALS. I/I 



and clovers grow shyly or not at all in any locality ; 

 second, in proportion to the success which attends 

 the growing of cereals for pasture; and, third, in 

 proportion to the lack of success which attends the 

 growing of plants of the sorghum family for pas- 

 ture. While pastures of more or less value may be 

 obtained from cereals in all parts of the United States 

 in which cereals can be grown with success, it will 

 follow, therefore, that they will render the best serv- 

 ice in states that lie in the upper half of the Missis- 

 sippi basin, and in the arable portions of Canada 

 which drain into Hudson Bay. Cereal pastures 

 will be less valuable relatively in the eastern, more 

 especially the New England, states, and in the prov- 

 inces of Canada which extend from Lake Huron to 

 the Atlantic. In these areas the rainfall is usually 

 abundant and well distributed. The soils are also 

 of heavier texture than in the west, and the protect- 

 ing snows are more abundant in winter, hence the 

 conditions are relatively more favorable to the 

 growth of grass pastures than in the prairie states 

 and provinces. In the former, the cereals not only 

 grow more slowly, but more difficulty is experienced 

 in grazing them off, from liability to impaction of 

 the soil through the treading of the stock. Over all 

 the southern half of the United States the conditions 

 are more favorable, relatively, to growing pasture 

 from the saccharine and non-saccharine members of 

 the sorghum genus. 



Pastures from cereals are usually obtained, first, 

 by sowing winter rye; and, second, by sowing the 

 "small" grains, as rye, wheat, oats and barley, in 

 various combinations. Under some conditions, 

 cereals may also be pastured, in some instances, 



