Rye for Hay.
When is the best time to cut rye for hay, and how should it best be
handled? Would it be well to cut it up and blow it into the barn, and
would it do all right for silage?
Rye makes poor hay on account of its woody stems and must be cut earlier
than other grains. After that it is handled as is other hay. Cutting it
up would probably be more of a help than to other grain hay. It could be
put into the silo, but would of course have to be cut pretty green and
would have to run through a cutter and blower. Putting it in whole would
be out of the question. In the silo, the fermentation would largely
overcome the woodiness of the stems. It would also as a silage balance
up nicely with alfalfa, and the best way to do would be to mix it with
alfalfa when putting it in.
Rye in California.
Which kind of rye is the hardiest, the best yielding, and the best hay
varieties in your State?
Rye is the least grown of all the cereals in California, and no
attention has been paid to selection of varieties. That which is
produced is "just rye," of some common variety which came to the State
years ago and still remains. No rye is grown for hay, as the toughness
of the stem renders it undesirable for that purpose. There is a certain
amount of rye grown for winter feeding. This is grown in the foothills
principally and it serves an excellent purpose, but it is fed off before
approaching maturity.
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