The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-08-15
A FEW WORDS ABOUT RYE.
IL Can he sown Land Too Wet for
Wheat with Profit.


For a third Of century we have been
familiar with rye sown as rotating crop
to get land back to clover or grass for
fall and winter pasture and TO be hogged
down.
1t can be sown on land too wet to give
a profitable wheat crop because 1t viii not
lift by the action of the frost as badly
as wheat. nor does the winter kill it as
easily as wheat. Care in preparation Of
the land and seeding is not as necessary
as for wheat Although such care might
give a better crop, still by experienced
growers 1t is not given
1t can be sown in corn at the last work
ing and succeed we'll If the weather is
favorable but II very dry the farmer
would court failure by sowing 1t. 1t is
safer to wait till cooler weather, when
the heat of the sun will not combine with
the drought to destroy it. Another ad-
vantage in this latitude is that it can
be sown as late as Nov. 1 with assurance
Of good crop.
on cold clay lands that the farmer
knows will not produce a paying wheat
crop he can sow rye with a prospect of
making something out Of II. He can get
winter and spring pasture at a time when
a green bite Is worth double or treble
what 1t is at other times in the year BY
pasturlng the rye other pasture has an
opportunity to start before the live stock
is turned on IL. If timothy or clover or
both is sown In the rye pasturing the rye
is not detrimental to them. In one in
stance we pastured rye throughout the
season SO closely that but little or II
headed out. and the clover came on bet
ter than in the wheat fields.
y few years ago, Aug. 10, we drilled
field Of faiiOw ground TO rye. and al the
same time. from the grass-seed box, We
soWad clover seed, letting it faE back of
the drill hoes. The rye and clover made
a good start before winter came on, and
the clover. protected by the rye passed
through the winter in good shape. We
have no experience with crimson clover,
bat think il could be successfully grown
here by sowing half a hushel OF rye per
acre for winter protection.
As a farm crop. to be grown and har-
vested as wheat. we are not much in
favor Of rye, the heavy straw being so
difficult 10 handle, and when we have
a crop we much prefer to have the hogs
gather il. Our land being principally
heavy clay. il has been and is still our
aim to add all the humus we can to it.
and we can use the heavy growth of
rye straw 10 great advantage for this
purpose. When il is hogged down it is
left on the ground evenly distributed,
just as we want II. The same quantity
of wheat straw would often smother the
young clover or other grasses sOwn in
the rye, but we have never known rye
TO do 1t. We regard rye as the best of
small grains to start grass crops in, the
rye not having a. dense foliage near the
ground as oats and wheat
Rye. when fully ripe. viii straw break
fifteen or eighteen inches above the
ground, the heads lodging on the bench
formed by the bi aldng, keeping them
off the ground ano preventing decay of
the grain Again, i viii not shatter like
wheat nor does il decay on account of
wet weather like wheat. These qualities
make il valuable as a crop to hog down.
our shotes have been on rye for nearly
one month, ard We expect them 20 have
the run Of the field for at least two
months yet Some farmers regard il as
wasteful practice TO gather the crop in
this way. but we do not so consider It,
If harvested and profitably fed TO stock
OF any kind II must be ground. If fed
whole, dry or soaked. hogs will not mas
ticate ii properly on account of the hard
ness before soaking, and its tough IA
ture after soaking. But when eaten in
the field they must also consume the
chaff ana stem of the head. which with
the grass they eat, makes digestion al
most perfect. We have recently noted
the condition of the droppings from our
pigs, and we see no grains voided whole.
We We're in some doubt of the results
from turning shOtes just weaned on the
standing rye, as we have often heard il
said that the boards would cause sore
throat in young shotes: but during the
month they have been on the rye we
have seen no Indication of this trouble
and are led to believe that there is
nothing I'm it. From rye sOwn and
hOgged down we have known two good
volunteer crops. but probably neither so
good as the crop obtained from sowing.
BY sowing the rye and allowing the
hogs to gather it, the farmer avoids the
heavy expense attending the harvesting
Of crop Of wheat a matter that il is
we'll for him to consider these hard
times, when wheat brings so little. ana
labor costs the same as it did when
wheat brought 81 per bushel-The Cul-
tivator and Country Gentleman.