RUTILIN. [Sastessin Garaer.1 ItUTI NW ACID. A crystalline acid contained in the stems and leaves of rne. It is insoluble in cold water and ether, but readily dissolves io boiling water or alcohol. When an alcoholic solu tion of chloride of calcium is added to an alcoholic solution of rutinic acid, a bright green precipitate is thrown down.
RYE is a plant of the family of the Grarnineze, and bears naked seeds on a flat ear furnished with awns like barley. The straw is solid, the internal part being filled with a pith, which, if it causes it to be inferior as fodder, makes it more valuable for litter, and particularly for thatching. The value of the straw is often nearly equal to that of the grain. Rye grows on poor light soils which are altogether unfit for wheat, and hence tracts of light sands are often denominated rye lands. On these soile this grain is far more profitable than wheat, which can only be raised there at a great expense of marling and man uring. The value of rye in those countries where it forms a considerable portion of the food of the labouring classes, is from two-thirds to three fourths of that of wheat. From experiments made to ascertain the quantities of nutritious matter in rye and wheat, Thaer states their real comparative value to be as 61 to 71. It was formerly raised in considerable quantities in England, either alone or mixed with wheat, and was then called merlin, from the old French word which means mind. The meslin when ground produced a very wholesome and palatable household bread, and it was thought advantageous to sow the two sorts together, from the notion that if either failed there would still be a crop of the other. This, however, was an error. No doubt the wheat would often fail on inferior soils when the rye would thrive; but the reverse was seldom or never the case; and besides the rye comes to maturity at leant a fortnight before the wheat. If the soil is capable of bearing a moderate crop of wheat, it would be much more advantageous to sow one portion of a field with rye and another with wheat ; and if meslin bread is desired, the two grains may be mixed in any required proportion. Excellent bread is made of two
of wheat and one of rye ground together, with only the coarse bran sifted out.
Rye is at present raised in very small quantities in England. It is however extenaively cultivated on the Continent, especially in the Netherlands, where it is the chief grain from which the spirit commonly Ilollands is distilled, which is flavoured with juniper, In Dutch called Generer, whence the name of genera and its contrac tion gin. When malted It makes excellent beer, one bushel of rye malt being equal to at least one and a quarter of barley malt. The cultivation of rye is very simple ; it is usually sown 2 or 3 bushels per acre after wheat, where the soil is light and rich, or after turnips and potatoes, in those soils which are not strong enough for wheat. As it is ripe in Juno or Jnly, turnips are often sown immediately after ; and by the manure produced by these, as well as their effect on the soil, a second crop of rye can be obtained the ensuing year. This is no doubt contrary to all sound theory ; but such is the practice in Flanders, and they do not find that their crops diminish in consequence.
In England rye is mostly sown as a green crop, and when fed off early in spring with sheep, the land is invigorated, and will bear excel lent potatoes or turnips the same year. This practice cannot be sufficiently recommended ; and if the rye is sown very early in autumn, It may be fed off in October and November, when sheep-feed is beginning to fail and the turnips have not yet attained their full size, with little detriment to the succeeding spring produce.
Winter barley and winter oats have been substituted for rye as spring fodder by soma farmers; but on land of moderate quality rye is generally preferred. It bears the severest winters, which is not the case with barley or oats.