One Thousand Questions in California Agriculture AnsweredWickson, Edward J. (Edward James)
Science
One Thousand Questions in California Agriculture Answered
Wickson, Edward J. (Edward James)
Agriculture -- California
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.
That Old Seven-Headed Wheat.
We are sending you some heads of grain which was grown in this county.
The land was planted with an imported Australian wheat, which we believe
the smaller heads to be, but the wheat is about evenly mired with grain
like the large heads, which we think to be a species of barley.
The grain is an old, coarse, bearded wheat which is continually
appearing in fields of ordinary grain and naturally excites interest
among all to whom the variety is a novelty. It is the old seven-headed
Egyptian wheat, which has never proved of any cultural value, because
its manifolding of the head is of no advantage. It is better to have a
straight well-filled head than to have a branching head of this kind.
This matter has been fully demonstrated by experience during the last
thirty or forty years, not only in this State, but in other States, for
the variety has a way of getting around the world, and seed has
sometimes been sold at exorbitant prices to people who have been
persuaded that it is of particular value.
Speltz.
I have heard of a Russian grain called "Speltz" or "Emmer." Can I raise
it successfully and, if so, what is the very best time of year to sow
some for the best crop obtainable? Can it be sown in the fall, say
November? Would springtime be a better time to sow it on soil that is
very soft in winter?
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