RYE 209 



12 inches, but it is not common to thin the plants 

 to a greater distance than, say, 9 to 10 inches; and 

 they should be gone over a second time with the 

 hand hoe, to perfect the thinning and also the de- 

 struction of the weeds. When rutabagas are broad- 

 casted they are not given any cultivation. 



RYE. — Rye will grow much better on rich land 

 than on land that is poor. Nevertheless, it is grown 

 chiefly on land that is sandy in texture and that is 

 low in fertility. It is so grown because other 

 cereals cannot be grown with equal success on such 

 soils; but there are wide areas in many states well 

 adapted to its growth and on these it is not grown. 

 The habit of growth in rye enables it to gather food 

 in soils where other cereals would fail. 



The ground is prepared for rye as for other crops, 

 that is, by plowing it to a reasonable depth. It is 

 not necessary to plow so deeply as for some other 

 crops, especially on sandy soils. Of course, the 

 longer the ground is plowed before the land is 

 sown, and the more frequently the soil is 

 stirred the better will be the conditions for 

 the rye, as the ground will then be cleaner and 

 moister than it would otherwise be. In certain 

 areas, however, especially of the prairie, rye is put 

 in with the grain drill without plowing the land 

 at all. The seed is drilled in among the stubbles 

 and on such soils good crops are frequently grown. 

 This method of sowing is best adapted to cold 

 areas. The benefit comes largely from the protec- 

 tion which the stubbles afford to the young rye 

 plants when driving winds are sweeping over the 

 country in winter. 



Rye is put into the soil like other cereals, being 

 sown sometimes by hand, but more frequently and 



