238 



FIELD CROPS 



are thorough cleaning of the seed and rotation of crops so 

 as to avoid sowing rye on the same land two years in succes- 

 sion. No other disease of rye is serious, though rust and 

 smut sometimes occur. This crop is less seriously affected 

 by insect pests than wheat, and preventive measures against 

 insect attacks are seldom necessary. 



294. Uses of the Rye Grain. In the United States, only 

 a small portion of the rye crop is used as human food. The 



Fig. 79. A field of rye ready for harvest. 



usual method is to grind the grain into flour and make it into 

 bread, though a few cereal breakfast foods are made wholly 

 or in part from this grain. In Russia and various portions 

 of northern Europe, rye bread is one of the chief foods of the 

 people. The bread made from rye flour is close in texture 

 and dark in color. A large part of the rye crop in America 

 is used in the manufacture of alcohol and alcoholic beverages, 

 the process being somewhat similar to that employed in the 



