The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-01-19
RYE Big
CROP IN
N.DAK0TA

A. ]. Surratt government field agent
for North Dakota, is in receipt OF an
interesting report for last December
from the bureau of crop estimates,
showing North Dakota leading the
United States in winter rye acreage.
fall seeded acreage of winter rye in this
state at $4,000 acres. This Is an In
crease OF $4,000 over the seeded acre.
age in the fall Of 1918 and gives North
largest rye acreage of any state in the
United States. ~ I
wisconsin is next in size tSof ree
acreage with 446,oO0 acres. North Da-
kota, in addition to having the leading
rye acreage in the United States. also
leads in the acreage of spring wheat,
barley and fax.
The United States until very recently
has produced less than per cent of the
total rye crop OF the world with the
bulk OF the rye being grown east of the
Dakotas and north of the Ohio river.
In the last few years, however. there
has been O. tendency to increase the
acreage outside of this region. IN
creases have been very marked in Me-
braska, Kansas, South Dakota. and es-
pecially in North Dakota: Rye acre
age is noticeably heavy in the north
central part of this state. Rye acreage
in the Red river valley is comparative
ly small. due to the heavy summer frost
damage in 1915 discouraging the use of
this crop. --... .-...
There aren umerous reasons for this
unusual swing to rye in this state,
Among the reasons most generally
heard in interviews with farmers are:
out of the older land ana especially
wild oats. Rye. as a rule, escapes rust
damage and often hail damage.
Furthermore, this last fall the quail
than 1915 wheat for seed purposes and
cost much less. Rye is attacked by
fewer insects and diseases than wheat.
Average value per acre for rye has
in a great many parts of the state. This
condition was very noticeable during
the period 191o-1s14.
Rye divides up farm work to better
advantage, especially at the harvest
period. Day wages are lower and labor
Is more easily obtained at rye harvest
than at wheat harvest period. Rye can
be sown rather late in the fall IL de-
sired owing to a rush of farm work in
the early part of the fall, as 1t Is an
extremely hardy plant 1t will gernlin-
ate and grow at temperature only a
few degrees above freezing. In fact,
several farmers have reported fair sue
cess where rye was seeded so late that
it did not terminate until the following
spring. However, the merit of this
msthod Of seeding remains ana to be deter ter
be used for fall and spring pasture. due
to the tremendous increase in acreage
of rye seeded last fall
Rye has changed from a minor to a
major crop in this state. Whether or
not the state will continue to be
heavy rye producer will depend largely
on the success and price of next sea-
sons crop. The fact that rye is one OF
the crops that can be used to combat
the growth of wild oats should have
the tendency to maintain heavy acre.
age in this state during the next few
years.
The most serious disease of rye is
ergot. Seed free from ergot should be
sown. Rye should not follow rye in
rotation, where ergot is found to be
present in rye fields. Ergot may be
grain through q 20 per cent solution of
common salt, in which ergot will float
and rye will sink. This treatment will
not AFFECT the termination of the seed.