The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-11-13
Rye as Catch Crop and for wint..
Grazing

OEaZlHS.
He who makes two blades of grass e,rou
wEere one grew before, should be cons.1
cred public benefactor This exnress,,..
l first heard from Scion Robertson. n no.
cd agricultural writer, dong since deceas-
ed but here in the South We are ro.
troubled much about growing grass onl,,
during the dry spells, which we have bad
so much of during late years-with o.
Bermuda and the annual grasses. suob q,
crow-foot, and crab grass in connectior
with corn fodder the most of farmers -
generally wei supplied, but this year h.
Is a scarcity of hay in some sections ~
the South owing 10 the unusual drv str9-
mer. 1 have in mind a farm not far fro,,
me that have known three good cror,e -
hay 10 be cut, after the early croD in ne
spring was taken off, that this wear ba,
not produced a single cutting Theraforl
in sections where drought has preva.Ie3
we should provide winter grazing for onr
stock by sowing rye. For milk cows ,hara
is no better feed than a rye pasture -
make the golden butter.
Rye can be sOwn in the cotton and corn
rows early in the season and there are a
great number of farmers mere in Ceoreis'
loEowtng this plan. r a farmer has con-
siderable stock tC reed through the VIM.
months il IS astonishing how much W.
past viii supplement the hav loft -
We wish to grow rye for the grain and
straw 1t can be grown on very poor Land
and make fair crop and this is the nrac-
tice in all rye growing countries. 10 sow ~,
the poorest land. 1t is now being proj1o-
ed on the exhausted wheat fields of the
West, but fertile soils will produce rnncL
larger crops ''0"
Rye is hardy plant and win succeed in
a large variety of soils, and in differont
climates is -.N
in the South than oats or wheat ana II
we could accustom ourselves to eat rre
bread, we would be more sure Of our Jaj,,
bread than we would to grow wheat ana
especially in Southern ATTITUDES. Rive is noA
very exhausting to the soil. In some SEQ
tlons In the North they SOW it to pillow un-
der as green manure 10 furnish humus tn
the soil. The best quality of grain to he
ground for flour grows upon sandy sol
and should be fortified with chemicals
This crop needs very little nitrogen. and
there is generally enough in the soil Ir
should receive from two to three hundred
pounds per acre of a fertilizer containing
about 10 per cent phosphoric acid, per
cent potash. In the rotation of farm crops
here in the South, rye can be made a
profitable crop as t can be grown for win
ter grazing, then allowed to mature in the
spring and fed off with hogs ur cut for
the grain and straw, and the straw is verv
q
machine, simply cut the heads off ard
bundle the straw for shipment, witn s'ats
and wire.
Rye straw is used extensively in collar
factories for stuffing the rims of horse
collars, and we have here in Georgia the
largest collar factory in the United States
and rye straw is now being shipped from
Pennsylvania into Georgia to supply the
demand. The return Of the stubble and the
roots to the soil by growing rye cron
leaves the land in fine condition to be fol-
lowed with pea crop, and then again bv
sowing rye in the fall from October to me
last of November we have a winter COW
ering for our lands to prevent washing
and teaching of plant food already in the
SOIL One bushel of seed is quite sufficient
for one acre, if sown at the proper time.
The land should be well prepared. The
custom here in Georgia Is TO plow in the
SEED narrow down smooth, and then rolled
to firm the soil
The principle disease to which rye Is
subject is the ergot, fungus disease.
winch causes the heads to turn black like
smut in wheat and is very poisonous. A
preventive is 10 soak the seed in bot.
strong brine and thoroughly stir. then roll
IN SACKED lime. If wanted for hay the
crop should be cut about the time If be-
gins to head, but for grain it should be
ieIt until the straw changes color and the
kernel passes out from the milk stage.
then 1t should be cut, bound up in small
bundles and put up in stacks and left 20
dry for few days before threshing OUT
the grain. As Southern farmers have
token such deep interest lately in grows
ing the small grains, 1 wish to call at
tention to this grain crop in this article.
as one of the profitable crops, all things
considered, that we can plant. not only
Ior tne seed, but the chance of disDosine
or the straw at remunerative price.
c. W. Morrill,.