The Portland daily press., 1893-12-09
RYE IN 4 coRNFIELp.
Progt essivo Farmer Tells of Two Success
full WAYS of Sowing It.

There are TWO pest ways to sow rye
among corn, and we have had good Sue
cess both ways, writes one of Ohio's prac-
teal farmers to The Country Gentleman.
He says: Our first way was to wait until
the corn was cut up and off the field, as
the filling of the slices demanded it the
last week in October. No preparation Of
the ground was attempted before sowing
the rye, which was broadcasted on at the
rate of two bushels per acre. The cut
away harrow was then set to work going
both ways of the field, which cuts the
soil fine and sufficiently deep, and then a
Ga tooth harrow was run once over the lot
to smooth it down. For two years we
thought that the rye did not get the start
it should before winter. and have since
put it in early in August, once the last
week in July.
If this course is pursued, it requires a
clean cornfeld and one finely worked to
make a full success of it. If the corn is
not too high, it is not q hard job to sow
it, only it wants to be thrown into the
air fairly high and not over three rows
attempted at time. Another way is to
sew up the end of two bushel bag, cut
two large pocket holes crosswise near the
middle, put half bushel of rye in each
end, put it on a horse in front of you
and SOW first with one and then with the
other hand. Of course the covering
means the last working of the corn, and
that implies very shallow culture. So
take common five shovel cultivator, put
the wheel well down in front, then take
two hard wood blocks, II inches thick
and inches wide and long, bore hole
through the centers just large enough to
let shovel through, put these onto the
outside shovels, fasten them on and cul-
tivate in the rye.
The object of the blocks is to prevent
going in SO deep as to cut off the corn
roots, which should be avoided, especial
ly if the weather is dry or droughty, for
to cut off corn roots after the corn is tas-
seled out is to invite big field of soft
corn, for at this stage of growth it is diff
ficult for the new growth of roots to re-
pair the damage of the deep cultivation,
and the corn cannot get nutriment suffi-
Gent to mature the crop fully. This year
we shall simply bolt a crossbar of wood,
/ by inches. feet 4 inches long, to the
opposite outside shovels Of the cult
vator, allowing the teeth to extend II
inches below the bar. This gives the
finest covering to the rye yet attempted
in our fields and covers all of the ground,
as the ends Of the bar project 2 inches
beyond each shovel and bury the rye
up to the very roots of the stalks. When
the rye is sown as early as Aug. /, one
can, if the rains are timely, SOW on four
quarts Of clover to the acre at the time,
and in the winter the rye will protect it,
and when the rye is cut for the grain,
the clover is left in stfull feather
months ahead Of spring sowing.
IF the clover for any cause does kill
out, the rye is left either for grain or to
plow under, and all that is lost is the
seed. But if success is result the ven
ture is rewarded several times over, and
total failure is about out Of the ques-
ton. The best thing about this plan is
that one has no barren land to wash and
leach in fall, winter and spring, and if
there is anything in the theory of soil
notification through the agency Of bac-
terra by always having growing crop
onlthe ground, this rye and clover COM
bination is one of its chief promoters,
and besides SO shortens up the rotation
that one has a clover sod in use or in
sight all of the time, and makes yet
more significant the agency of this fer
tilizer in our farm operations.