Mobile register and journal. [volume] (Mobile, Ala.) 1841-1849, 1845-09-27
For the Register and Journal.

value OF II has Tor years past arrested the attention
Of many Of The first men that our country has pro-
duced, and who thought it well worthy The employ
ment Of part OF their time, attention, and talents
to ascertain by well conducted experiments its re-
lative value as food for and beast in different
climates and locations, soils and ATTITUDES. Nor is
there single instance known where the trial has
been made, either in our country or in Eurone
where ii has not resulted in procuring the almost
enthusiastic suffrage of the persons making them
On the value Of this plant the Father Of our country
| il is well known, spoke uniformly with warmth and
cultivated il with perfect zeal.
In looking the northern prints for the last
twenty years, it is worthy of notice. that the exer-
tons Of Intelligent men have been singuary direct
ed to induce the cultivation of millet, from kmowl-
edge of its excellence for sniling for the grain or
for the hay; and il ought to be emphatcaly re-
marked that all The arguments employed to induce
the northern farmer to cultivate this grain, applies
with double force To the south. and 10 all "to whom
il may concern be il poin'edy noticed and remem-
bered, that we have the happy climate for its pro-
duction in tile greatest perfection. The great length
the grass growing must he familiar To eve
~ man whu does not pass along with stupid mat
tention 10 the valuable productions Of the country in
which he lives, and equally the remarkable tenten-
cy OF our climate 10 produce it. During the crop
making season the aborIng man is efectually i'm
pressed with The last truth, and what is equally
| thy ofremark, without noticing the value that he
might derive from the fact although the PANELS Of
| his fences present him perfect confirmation.
| The rapidity with winch grass grows with us dur.
ing certain months is equally worthy o(remark, the
like OF which is unknown in the northern part OF our
country. A stalk oil corn Is 10 20 feet in height,
| and one Of rye upwards OF nine, would appear in
credible to northern farmer, especially if you as
sure him that each required less time 10 reach that
height than The northern plant to extend to seven
and five
Among many other remarks that might he Inade
regarding this plant, the attention of every rejecting
man must be arrested BY the great variety Of the
climate and soil in which il is found cultived over
the globe, by the wild savage unnlored African, and
| the civilized portion of The human race-and from
this fact nay safely derive the Inference thai il must
have been intended by the Creator great eener-
| al blessngas regards subsistence Tor the human
race, veil as the animal word Like all other
plants, however, there is found difference IN lis
growth AMI production in different soils and eli
mates, AMI where tho hand of cultivation Is wisely
directed 10 prepare the soil for the growth of The
plant Whm cultivated in this State, mille is
found 10 produce superior hay crop, and alter COM
pairing the accounts of its growth and production IN
the north as we'll as in Europe the product OF Ala
bama is not perhaps equalled. It's growth in well
prepared soils most luxuriat and rapid, and admits
Of one more cutting than in the north-ihrows up
| pr0fusion q leaf and produces heavy crop OF
seed. Whencutiva,ed by the drill mode, the best
with us produce quantity Of both hay and seed. the
result is incrtible--and for Soilng, we can Iced
|
given quanitl of sell than our northern neighbours
| In the attempts that have been made for some
years past by intelligent and patriotic men to arrest
and point theatienton Of cuivators OF the soil to
the extraordta,, value OF Inilet ii number OF well
aliesed facts have been gwen to the public, lew
ol which viii De satisfactory to an intelligent COM
nuny who feel any anxiety not only 10 produce
subsistence to their ANIMALS without the ridiculous
exhibition OF sending thousands OF miles Tor II, and
expending the result of their labor necessary OF
life which the, produce better at home al one
fourth of The ost, but by doing which they can, op
off one of the Of the singular emharrassnens
of the country prising from ii needless expenditure,
and sending Of the country what little is produc-
ed from the cultivation Of Its staple. MIR. Batenmn,
of Rochester, New York, "a name that carries with
it confidence aud respect) give AN account IN Feb
ruary, 1882 OF A crop raised by Mr. IucSelpaugh,
of WAYNE county, two acres OF new land, suc1 AS
wond be called good corn ground, II sandy loam-
The land was the 3d Of June, and cut the loih
| August--produclion l60 bushels, or SO bushels to
the acre, The straw was found excellent fodder,
worth more than acres Of grass hay. line
grain was fed 10 hogs aud considered equal To
corn or peas weighing so lbs. 10 the bushel--whcn
ground found superior for latlening hogs
M,llet has undoubtedly property peculiar 10
| ITSELF viz the remarkable green state and succu-
Ience of the stalk and leaf when The grain passing
out of the mikev Stage. This quality adds highly
10 its value when prepared as hay 1t carefully cut at
that period
The Hon. Bushrod Washington, on the cutva-
ton OF mlet says, that lie grows it extensively for
the seed and for the fodder, cutting when the earliest
seeds ripe, and then secures from fifteen to twen-
ty bushels Of seed 10 the acre, and quantity OF the
very best fodder. In one instance he chad forty
tons from sixteen acres. equal the hest cured hay.
BY manurng. the hay crop s much increased. Cat
lie and horses fond OF the hay. In the latitude OF
| Maryland the Baltimore Farmer states--"1his
grain may be sown between the middle of May and
the middle of July, and will make you heavy crop
of hay in six weeks, say from two 10 lour tons To
the acre. "If you design,t for hay alone,
as as The head is formed you should cut il. cure
in cocks, and you will have hav more nutritious
than any other-lt easily, keeps well, and is
eaten with avidity by horses and cattle-and again
horses and stock Of all kinds eat il with avidlty, and
| il may be set down proposition perfectly de-
fensible, that two tons of good millet hay contains
as much nutrition three of timothy; AMI again
ave raised len tons last year off two and "a acres
of ground which farmers call kind and deep san.
dy oam--had been rested and depastnred with
cows, but no manure was applied" This grass
| may be cultivated broad cast, by putting the ground
| in fine order, or drilled and once hoed. Ii has
reached the height Of six ieetis much cultivated IN
| Germany, and indeed over Europe, and held IN uni
| yersul estimation. When thrown into the form of
| hay by being sewn and cultivated broad cast, IT
should properly follow some cleansing crop, ssch as
cotton corn well cultivated, and if the ground Is
in fine order, will reach four tons 10 the acre of
| hay, held superior 10 timothy or clover
For song it rs sIngularly fine grass; its rapid
growth and rich Of leaves prepare il especially
| for this last Use. For the it is unsurpassed,
producing the delicate, but rich, milk and but
| ter Its upright growth when cultivated IN The
drill mode, prepares it well for the sickle with
which it is cut rapidly and with ease. Placed AT
two feet apart IN the rowe. the production is aston
ishng rs regards grass, and by simply stirring the
ground CATER culng) between the rows with a
narrow hoe, an additional cutting may be gained in
the season. 1t seems perfectly at home IN our Gil
mate, and when planted in loose, deep and gener-
Gus soil, produces hay unsurpassed for quality
The Maryland "Farmer and Gardner" of 1887, in
| pressing the cultivation Of this plant, says
"We have upon repeated occasions urged the cui.
tvation OF milet hay, npon the cons liberation OF
our readers, and we are happy to know, that those
recommendations have had their effect in numerous
instances ltsrapid growth. great yield. and the
ease with which il be cured, are qualities which
certainly recommend il 10 favor. In SIX weeks from
the time Of sowing, last yeur, we committed 1t to the
hands Of the mowers, and never saw larger or
more nutritious body of hay garnered from the same
quantity ofhnd IN our life. On good ground, oidi-
nary MANFRED, we have hesitation in saying
that il will yield from three to four tons 10 tile acre.
| on good ground, without manure, it will bring at
least tons to The acre-nnd last though not least,
it is so easily cured, half days sun in the swarth
being all that is required, alter which II should be
cured in cocks, turning day for two or three
days, when il may safely be put away, and to make
most desirable stack. Salt should be scattered
through it when putting in the stuck say one peck
| to the ton. The lot on which we grew our mlllet
last summer we put in rye the last winter without
giving to it grain Of manure, and have now stand
ing on il as fine coop as we could desire. II we
were asked what quantity OF nlllet seed we would
SOW to the acre. we would reply that less than
| three pecks or a bushel where we wanted the pro-
l...ot,a EiAr HnrGa