, Bureau of Ageicultuke. 255 



from this cause in Kentucky, though some varieties have 

 done well during favorable winters on our Experiment 

 FaiTu. 



Some as valuable work can be done for us by careful 

 screening of home-grown oats seed so as to discard the 

 imperfect and save only the heavy, as is being done with 

 tobacco. The process is one of selection, and if it were 

 everjTvhere practiced, coupled with intelligent selection 

 by other procedures, would undoubtedly soon show an 

 increased average yield for the State. Oats is one of 

 the forage plants that should be greatly improved for 

 Kentucky, and be more generally grown in the State. 



Rye is another of the cereal group of small grains 

 that has value both as food and as feed. It is very well 

 understood in Kentucky, and is quite generally employed 

 both for stock and as a green manure. It has an estab- 

 lished place, I believe, in any system of scientific farm- 

 ing that may finally be adopted for the State. 



Barley does well in Kentucky, and was years ago 

 grown quite extensively for malt. I know of no reason 

 why it should not be grown now, if there was a demand 

 for it. It has value for stock, but seems not to have 

 found a place with us not already occupied by as good 

 or better forage. 



Corn is the king of forage plants in Kentucky. There 

 is no doubt about this. It is grown in every county in 

 the State. Every part of the plant from the ground 

 up can be utilized for one or another purpose. It is 

 the one really great addition made by America to the 

 cereal group of plants. Both stalk and grain considered, 

 Kentucky is within the region in which the plant attains 

 its best development as a crop. Somewhat farther north 

 the growth is dwarfed by low average temperature and 

 short season. In some of the Gulf States the growth of 

 stalk is excessive, and the grain not of as good quality 

 as it is here and farther north. Kentucky farmers have 

 always recognized the value of this crop and need no 

 coaching in this direction. But there is room for great 

 improvement in strains, by selection based upon a study 

 of the characters that go to make a good yield of High 

 grade grain. An inspection of the com exhibited at our 

 county and State fairs has shown that the corn consid- 



