342 - FIELD CROPS FOR THE COTTON-BELT- 



four-rowed. The flowering glume is always awned and the 

 keel of the glume is strongly barbed. The organs of 

 reproduction are quite similar to those of wheat, except 

 that in rye the anthers are larger. The rye grain is slender, 

 rather dark in color, with a somewhat wrinkled surface, 

 and has a rather shallow longitudinal crease on the side 

 opposite the germ. In comparison with wheat, the rye 

 spike is longer and more flattened; the beards are much 

 longer and less spreading and are loosely arranged in two 

 rows; the individual grains on the head are partially 

 exposed; the grains are longer, more slender, more pointed 

 and have a more wrinkled surface; the longitudinal crease 

 is less distinct and the texture of the grain is harder and 

 tougher, requiring more power to grind it. 



The rye grain, on germinating, throws out a whorl of 

 four instead of three temporary roots. This characteristic 

 is thought to account partially for the greater hardiness 

 of rye as compared with the other small grains.' The 

 young rye plant has. a distinctly red tinge which serves 

 to distinguish it from wheat. In the spring the plants 

 take on a grayish green color. The fall growth of rye is 

 more spreading than wheat. 



420. Composition. ^ The following table summarized 

 from Henry's "Feeds and Feeding" shows the composi- 

 tion of rye grain together with that of corn and wheat: 



Table 33. Percentage Composition op the Grain op Rye, 

 Wheat and Corn 



