CHAPTER XXIV 

 RYE 



RYE is the fifth cereal in importance in the world and in the 

 United States. It is exceeded in the world by corn, wheat, oats, and 

 rice, and in the United States the rice is replaced by barley. Rye is 

 cultivated in much the same way as wheat and is used for similar 

 purposes, and in many places may be considered to be a competing 

 crop with wheat. It will grow on poorer soils than wheat and in 

 colder climates, and so has a distinct advantage in many countries. 



Rye Production. About nine-tenths of the rye crop is pro- 

 duced in Europe (Fig. 71) . Rye is only a minor crop in other parts 



of the world. 



Production of Rye 



Production, 5-year average, 

 Continent 1906-1910, bushels 



Europe 1,536,279,600 



North America 40,162,400 



Asia 25,809,600 



Australasia 189,600 



Total 1,602,441,200 



While the rye crop of the world is only one-third that of wheat, 

 yet in Europe the two crops are almost of equal importance, and in at 

 least two countries, Russia and Germany, rye far outranks wheat. 



Production of Rye and Wheat in Russia and Germany, Average 1906-1910 



Rye, bushels Wheat, bushels 



Russia 742,482,600 557,757,800 



Germany 409,271,800 138,184,600 



In the United States, four States, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wis- 

 consin, and New York, produce about three-fifths of the rye crop. 



Origin and History. While the cultivated species of rye are 

 annuals, it is thought to have originated from a wild perennial form 

 found growing in South Europe to Central Asia. 



The fact that pasturing off rye closely for a season may cause it to 

 live over a second winter, shows it to have a tendency toward a 

 perennial form. No other cereals appear to show such a tendency. 



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