BYB 



49 



early pasturing will not seriously interfere with the 

 maturing of the grain. 



Another advantage of rye, which should not 

 be lost sight of, is its usefulness as a cover-crop, 

 not only in absorbing and holding plant-food, but 

 in preventing the waste of soil by washing or 



blowing. 



Eye can be seeded later in the fall than almost 

 any other crop, and starts earlier in spring than 

 most others. It will usually pay well to seed rye 

 on raw ground as a cover -crop alone. 



Rye can also be utilized for silage. It is not so 

 well adapted for silage as corn, yet if allowed to 

 head out fully before cutting and to wilt slightly 

 before packing in the silo, it may be preserved 

 without serious loss. Its food value in silage will 

 also compare favorably with that in the green 



material . 



Made in the proper way, rye hay is also a good 

 means of utilizing the crop. It should be cut when 

 at its best stage for forage, that is, before fully 

 headed out, and cured in the usual way. 



Soils j manures, and fertilizers for rye 



When grown for forage purposes, the prepara- 

 tion of soil and the seeding are of great impor- 

 tance, as these points have a direct bearing both 

 on the earliness and the yield, notwithstanding that 



