The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-08-17

ST 17, 1909
 bulbs until ready for market. as they keep so much better with the tops left on.
 Winter Rye.
 It really seems strange that many farmers are so slow to learn the value of rye as a winter forage crop. or know ing Its value thex should not be so in- different about preparing or using 1t as crop for winter pasture. A crop of rye well sown will furnish an abundance of fine pasture from fall until late in the spring, and where there Is good rye pas ture the cost of feed for stock can be greatly reduced; In fact. stock of nearly all kinds, except work horses and cattle, 1 may be wintered at a comparatively small cost Knowing this to be true from actual experience. the wonder Is that our farmers do not SOW more rye for winter pasture. I was very much surprised recently at a farmer who stated that rye was a poor crop and that one would not get enough pasture to pay for the damage of tramping the land. My long experience with rye proves that like all other crops 1t generally pays ac-
 
 ment that it receives. If sown on very poor land among sassafras and persim- mon bushes and barely scratched in, it is sure not to pay. Then rye, being hardy crop and well adapted for nearly all soils. climates and conditions. many conclude that they can succeed with this crop under any sort of careless cultiva- ton. I have known rye to be sown in corn where weeds had been allowed to grow up as high as the corn and no blowing in whatever but just left to chance for rain to come and start it to growing and I have seen good crops of rye grown from just such treatment which the more strongly proves what the crop would do under favorable con ditlons. The plant is perfectly hardy will grow if given any kind of show and yet it will pay well to put the crop in right
 Rye may be sown in the fields of corn and cotton at the last plowings. though 1t would be far better to have land that can be broken deep and thoroughly pre- pared by narrowing fine, and SOW the rye on this kind of soil. It would be all the better if the seed could be put in with press drill. but where a drill is not to be had the seed can be sown broadcast by one of our seeders made for this purpose, or the seed may be sown by hand Where the seeding Is
 
 sowing evenly over the land and not have it thick in some spots and bare in others. It requires an experienced and careful hand to SOW small grain evenly. From one to one and one-half bushels should be sown to the acre, owing, of course, to the land. The crop for pasture should be sown early in the season, com mencing in August in order to obtain the best results though sowing may be made up to and even in December. But the early sowings are the most profitable ones. especially for pasture. Rye should not be pastured until 1t gets a good growth and has stooled well, then stock may be turned in but should be taken off as soon as they eat the crop down low so that 1t may grow up again, which it will soon do when sown as here di- rected.
 Then again, the crop should not be pastured when the soil is soft and easily pulled up by the hoofs of animals. It is the neglect or failure, first in preparing the soil for seeding. and second the abuse of the crop after 1t is up. that causes the conclusion that there is no pay in growing rye for pasture. Like everything else, it must be done right in order to make 1t pay.
 If field of pea vines could be turned under and the rye sown 1t would add greatly to the value of the crop It cer- tainly does not need any argument now to convince our farmers of the import ance of providing winter pasture for their stock the coming winter. for our severe drouth has cut off nearly all our corn and hay crops and has continued so long and so late that there Is now no longer any hope to grow any of the hay crops. It Is also true that the drouth is still holding out unbroken over very large section of the south, and farmers are yet unable to blow and prepare their lands even for sowing rye for pasture. It is now the middle of August and still the drouth holds on, and while the soil Is so dry there is no use to SOW seed of any sort But farmers can have every thing in full readiness and as soon as the rain comes push the work of seed ing. Sow and manage the crop as I have here recommended and see if a crop of rye for pasture in winter does not pay and pay well. But don't select some spot that is so poor that It will not produce anything and expect this to produce a paying crop of rye. The black winter rye is perhaps the best to SOW for winter pasture. The rye crop Is not only profit able for pasture, but, if properly man aged, will pay well to grow for crop of grain. It can be harvested in time for planting a crop of corn, and Is no dis. advantage to the land in growing. Last winter I was out over a good portion of the state, was among the farmers a great deal. and found on nearly every farm a shortage of feed-and feed high. Here and there I found farmer who had prepared and sown rye for pasture and these farmers were getting along nicely with their stock. All stock, and even the chickens are fond of the green rye and will get on nicely If they have plenty of it. But do not pasture too close. Sow plenty for all the stock for all the winter.