The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1856-05-22
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MLLET FOR soILINa AND FOR FODDER

uuT'hS Tie iast twenty years, has led us to
the conclusion, that in this climate no plant
has given such general satisfaction for soil
ing purposes or for fodder as millet. In
Germany it is cultivated principally for the
seed, which is frequently used instead of
rice. In this country it is generally raised
for fodder, or for fodder and seed together.
Large crops have been grown. In ls4l,
Mr.. G. Jones received premium from the
Tompkins County Agricultural Society, for
having raised, on two acres, Eve and half
tons of millet fodder and sixty-three bush-
els of seed. Twenty quarts of seed were
sown per acre on the 9Th of June on new
land. T. B. Shepard, of Buffalo, N. Y,
says, in the last volume of tho Genesce Far
"ser, page 1el:
"1n 1851, T sowed four acres Of miet
(tour quarts per acre) the 9th Of June, and
had as much fodder rs from any eight acres
Of grass that year-and it was good year
for hay. have raised from four to eight
acres every year since, and have invariably
had good crops Of not only fodder or hay
or straw equal to as many tons of tile best
timothy hay, but from twenty to thirty
bushels of seed to tho acre, equal to rs
many bushels Of corn to feed to any kind
of domestic animals. feed the most of
my seed, after having it ground, to mich
cows, preferring it to Indian meal, as ma
king more milk and Of MS rich quality
The last season I had six acres Of millet,
which has been worth more than $50 per
acre, or $500 for the six acres. have fed
35 cows on the straw since the 25th of jan
uary, and have enough left to last until the
lst of May. and got loo bushels of seed
from the lot. The rpcst Of the seed, some
; sixty bushels, l have sold for seed, and the
balance I am now feeling to my horses, and
find they do rs well on the meal put on
cut hay and straw, as they did when
fed an equal quantity of corn and oat
meal"
The great German agricultural writer,
Albert D. Thaer, says:
"Millet requires warm, rich, sandy, well
pulverized soil. 1t succeeds better when
sown after some crop which has been abun-
dainty nanured, than it does when sown
Immediately after All a,nelicratiou of unde-
composed manure.
GA soil must be titled 10 a great depth
for its reception, and plowed three times,
besides being narrowed. rolled, and thor
oughly freed from weeds. Many far
mers dig their ground to great depth pre-
vious TO sowing it with this plant; but a
good plowing answers the purpose equally
we'll. Millet is. in general, very successful
on newly drained land, provided that it is
in good condition, and also land which has
been left in repose for several years in the
latter case, single plowiug is sufficient, If
the soil is subsequently narrowed, and. well
broken up with Oller, before the seed is
put into it. When this class of soils arc
too dry for linseed, there is no more porfita.
ble means of employing them than by SOW.
ing them with miilet.
"Millet should be sown in May; a har-
row is then passed lightly over the soil, and
where the ground is dry, roller must also
be used. The seed must be thoroughly
ripe, perfect, and free from disease.
"As soon as weeds make their appear
ance among millet which is just shooting
above ground, they must be eratlicated by
wedding. This is absolutely necessary.
TT The best way is to tear up the
weeds with hand rakes constructed for the
purpose. This mode Of proceeding, an.
swers far better than hand-weeding, as by
its means, not only all the weeds may lie
eradica.ed, but the supernumerary plants
may be thinned of. The effect of this cul-
tivation on the success and vegetation of
the crop is wonderful after it, the milet
shoots up 30 rapidly that tile weeds seldom
have time to grow again, or, If they do, i,
is IN very small numbers, and they may
easily he pulled up"
Mr.. A. Y. Moore, Of schoolcrah. Mich,
in letter published in the Country Gentle
man for April 5th, 1855. says:
"Millet has been a fsvorite crop with me
for The last FIVE or six years. There 10 no
kind of hayFthat my stock Of all kinds pre-.
fer to millat; and Il the land is rich, and
itsswYal pntFin, and good seed, it produces
wen. 7 have had as much as four tons 70!
the acre. Aftcr Il il taken of in the falI.
the land is in good sorder.f for wheat, BY Be.
ing once wsils plowed; not yielding qpits 90