344 FIELD CROPS FOR THE COTTON-BELT 



that rye will respond as liberally to good culture and ju- 

 dicious fertilization as any other cereal. The principles 

 discussed in the fertilization of oats and wheat are equally 

 applicable to rye. 



424. Rotations. Rye, like practically all other field 

 crops, should be grown in a well-planned rotation. In 

 the cotton-belt rye should fill the place in the rotation 

 that would otherwise be taken by wheat or oats. Rye 

 is especially adapted to short-course rotations in which 

 case it is largely utilized as a winter cover-crop, for winter 

 pasture or for soiling purposes. On poor sandy soils rye 

 often occupies a position in the rotation between two 

 intertilled crops and is plowed under as a green-manure. 



425. Seed. As a rule northern-grown rye should 

 not be sown in the cotton-belt. The plants spread out 

 more closely on the ground than plants from southern- 

 grown seed and is therefore not so good for early winter 

 pasture. Also the crop from northern-grown seed is more 

 subject to rust, the plants are smaller, and the yield 

 usually less than from "Southern rye." Home-grown 

 seed should be sown whenever circumstances permit. 



426. Culture. Rye is most often sown on unplowed 

 land following corn or some other intertilled crop. If 

 sown with the drill the land is well harrowed before seed- 

 ing. One-horse drills are often used and the rye sown in 

 the standing corn, the drill passing between the rows. 

 Broadcast sowing is very common, particularly when the 

 crop is intended for grazing. For soiling purposes, rye is 

 often sown in drills 18 to 24 inches apart. The sowing 

 season for rye is longer than for any other small grain. 

 For early soiling the crop is sometimes sown as early as 

 September 1st. On poor soils, early sowing is very desir- 

 able in order that the crop may get well established before 



