The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1918-08-21
RYE NOW IS An
IMPORTANT CROP
IN THIS STATE
GOVERNMENT ASKS FARMERS
To INCREASE RYE ACREAGE
AND WANTS ONLY SAME
WHEAT ACREAGE AS
LAST YEAR.


| East Lansing, Mich, Aug. H.
While Uncle Sam has been petitioning
the farmers of most states for more
wheat, he has come to the husband
men Of Michigan with plea not for 2
larger acreage Of the staff of life"
but for more rye. Michigan's grain
growers can be Of most service, the
farm crops department of M. A. c.
has been informed if they will increase
and will put in only the Jane amount
| of winter wheat as was sown last fall.
"Plans for an increased acreage of
rye are Of necessity Influenced by
plans for the wheat crop, for the two
crops come into immediate competi-
ton in their labor demands. Larger
winter wheat acreage are accordingly
not suggested in Michigan, Wisconsin.
Minnesota and South Dakota because
of the heavy Increases in rye asked
for from these states.
sInasmuch as rye is being largely
used as a substitute for wheat as a
bread grain, the sowing of rye in
stead of wheat in sections where con-
ditions are more favorable for rye
will materially increase the total food
production"
Selection of Michigan to help with
rye has brought to the attention Of
the public marked development in
Michigan agriculture, for the raising
of rye has changed from somewhat
casual enterprise to business of
huge proportions within the state al
most in the last half lozen years. The
harvest of rye this season alone was
5,446,000 bushels, valued roughly at
Sc, 100000
The wave of popularity upon which
the rye crop is now riding is attrib-
uted by those who keep an ear to the
ground in rural Michigan towar pric-
es and to two men. One of these
latter is Prof. F. A. Spragg, plant
breeder for the experiment station at
M. A. c., and the other is j. w. Nicol-
son, who as a member of the extension
staff of the college has been carrying
the story of pedigreed, bodybuilding
grains to every farmer in the state.
Prof. Spragg's contribution was
Rosen. This is special variety of
rye just as Tallman Sweets, Jonathan
and Northern Spies are special varie-
ties of apples. In connection with
his experimental work at the college
nine years ago Prof. Spragg planted
few grains of rye he had received
from Russia--not blindly, but for the
purpose of learning how this strain of
the crop would thrive in Michigan.
Some of the plants sprouting from
this first seed proved to be SO much
better than any other variety of rye
known in Michigan. or anywhere in
the United States, for that matter,
that he carefully saved the grain from
al &l,nxv 4x.,. n
number of years enough of this SUI
pericr rye had ben harvested to en-
able the college to send out a number
of small sample to selected list of
farmers. Under average farm condi-
tions it was found that the new rye
yielded from 80 to 40 bushels to the
acre, or almost twice as much as the
common varieties used in the state.
In 1918, as a result of the mission
airy efforts of Mr.. Nicolson working
with members of the Michigan Crop
Improvement association, enough of
the pure unmixed Rosen was harvest
ed to make it possible to plant at
least 10000 acres with this exception
al rain this fall, while enough unin-
spected Rosen has been threshed to
sow another 100000 or 100000 acres
and supply some to neighboring states
all from the few grains first set
out by Prof. Spragg in 1909. An
other result has been the maxim Of
Michigan rye famous throughout the
country for. seed purposes, and popu-
lar here at home as cash and bread
crop. This single contribution by the
experiment station to the agriculture
CT Michigan is figured by enterprising
statisticians to alone have more than
REPAID the state for what it has cost
to build and maintain M. A. c.
1t may be added that information
about sources of supply can be secur-
ed by writing to Mr.. Nicolson, at M.
A. c., East Lansing.
"In many sections" says Prof. j.
+. Cox of the department Of farm
crops of M. A. c., rye is held to be
poor land crop but tbs is not so with
Rosen. On good land it will give
yields which have brought this crop
into many communities where former
ly rye was not grown. Even under
adverse sonl conditions it will mark
edly outyield common rye.
while rye can be seeded on lighter
soils than wheat and at later dates,
it is recommended that paintings in
Michigan be made in mid-September
where possible. The crop will re-
spond well to thorouh preparation Of
seed bed and to fertilizers, particular
ly acid phosphate at the rate of 200
pounds per acre and to manure.
lowing to labor conditions and eff
fects Of the late June frost there are
thousands of acres Of muck lands in
Michigan not being employed for
cropping and it will be necessary to
use much of the land for pasturage or
for general cropping. Rosen rye bids
fair to be a most valuable crop for
growing on muck land in such emer-
gencies as this. Harry Potter, we'll
known as peppermint grower at
Pottersville put out about 30 acres of
Rosen rye on typical peppermint muck
land. Fourteen acres Of the Rosen
were planted about Sept. Is and these