Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1886-09-02
THE RYE CROP.
A Claim That It Increases tho Fertility
of the Land Which Produces II.


A Claim That It Increases tho Fertility
of the Land which Produces It.
Farmers do not give this crop the
attention it deserves. As general
rule, it does not yield as much per
acre as wheat, and sells for two thirds
to three-fourths as much per busheL
The reason it does not yield as much
is because 1t is usually sown upon
ground too poor for wheat; but it
yields tolerable crop where wheat
| would yield next to nothing. Many of
the old Dutch farmers who have long
been in the habit of raising it. assert
that rye crop taken off piece of
ground. instead of taking from. adds
to the fertility of the soil. They argue
that in seeding down with wheat :hey
often fail to secure .'catch" of grass;
but by blowing down the wheat Stub
bic to follow with a crop of rye, and
seeding to grass with this. they inva-
riably secure good ''catch" Of grass,
as well as a good crop of rye, and the
ground is in better condition than it
was before the rye was sown. Whether
there is any thing in this theory or not.
do not say, and yet the practice of
such farmers would seem to confirm the
faith that is in them.
Rye sown upon ground rich enough
for wheat yields as much grain as
wheat, and nearly double as much
straw. Rye bread, when properly
baked, is very wholesome and nutri-
tious, and many people are very fond
of it. Among the Dutch farmers in
the Eastern part of Pennsylvania, it
is mostly used as chop to make cut
feed for their horses. either pure or
mixed, and chopped with other grains.
The straw is run through a cutting
box, and about half bushel of this
cut straw wetted, and mixed with two
or three quarts of rye ''chop," fed to a
horse three times day, gives better
satisfaction and answers every purpose
of both oats and hay. Especially is
this the best kind of feed for horse
troubled with heaves. A pint of boiled
rye fed twice day il unsurpassed for
putting horse in condition, also
calves and cattle that have become
hide-bound.
Then for tying up corn-fodder, it is
almost impossible to get along without
rye straw. Of course the crop must be
thrashed out with fail if the straw is
intended to be used for this purpose.
As a green crop to pillow under find
in it, perhaps, its greatest value. In
this country, buckwheat is q standard
crop in our rotation. After the corn
is off, sow rye Gas it will do to sow it
quite late even on the snow, and not
harrow), to be plowed under about the
middle of June; pack it down tight
with roller after it is plowed, then
about June 20 SOW buckwheat. This
comes off so the ground can be ready
to be sowed to wheat about September
20. Then pillow it again before sow.
ing wheat, and roll; thus the rye that
has been turned under in June, (quite
a furrowfuD comes on top, like well rot
ted manure, to top-dress the wheat.
BY fastening one end of a log-chain to
the doubletree, and the other end
around the beam of the pillow, letting
the chain drag in the furrOw, every
stalk can be covered out of sight; in
fact, it makes it very pleasant work.
Last summer 1 raised one hundred and
twenty bushels of buckwheat off three
and one-half acres, where rye had been
turned under in June. 1t was all ripe
before September frost, aud buckwheat
was buckwheat.
1t will make good pasture for the
calves this fall, and l expect it will
again next spring. may use a part
of it for soiling purposes. and turn
under for buckwheat to be followed by
wheat.
Some agricultural papers recommend
the sowing of rye with view of plow
ing under for corn. l do not hold very
much on that line Unless it is sowed
very early, it will not amount to very
much in time to pillow under for corn,
and you can not get any suitable
ground for corn on which to SOW it
early, except sod after harvest. If that
sod were simply let alone, the grass
that would grow up and rot down in
the fall and grow up again in the
spring before blowing for corn, would
need far less work, and amount to
more than the rye would by the time
to plant for corn, as it is after that
time rye makes its most rapid growth. |
Upon any other than sod ground, OF |
course the benefit will be in proportion |
to the amount of growth secured by
the time 1t is plowed under Tor corn
Cor. Rural New Yorker.
FASHION GOSSIP,