Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-03-14
MILLET SEED-HOW TO GROW
THEM.


To the Editors OF the Union and American:
write few lines of enquiry for the ag-
ricultural department to learn something
upon the subject of growing millet seed for
market, and hope that some one that has
the necessary information will impart it,
the manner of preparing the land, time of
sowing, quantity of seed per acre, how far
apart the drills should be, when to thin and
how much should be left, how to cultivate,
time and manner of harvesting, what the
average yield per acre, different years and
average soil, the kind of soil that grows it
best, the seed that makes the greatest yield,
the millet that makes the best hay, whether
sown broadcast, would make good seed for
raising from, which makes the largest num-
Der of seed per acre, broadcast or drilled,
the number of acres, that one hand can Gull
tivate of the latter? l hope these questions
will meet with an early response. l have
always been a reader of this paper, but now
consider it invaluable since the agricultural
department is so replete with matter that
is vital to the interest Of all its readers.
In answer to the above queries, we would
state that the land should be deeply broken
in the spring or fall, and have a second
breaking about the last of April. After be-
ing well narrowed and pulverized, beds two
and half feet apart should be thrown up
with single plows, the tops chopped down
and furrow two or three inches deep
opened on top of the beds. The millet seeds
should then be drilled about doubly as thick
as wheat, which viii require less than half
a bushel of seed to the acre. A light COW
ering is all that is necessary. With season
able weather, which is usual in our latitude
about the LIST of May, the seeds will ger
inmate and the young plants will make
their appearance in about one weeks time.
Two weeks after this they should be
scraped down and the same cultivation
given as for cotton. The crop should be
harvested when the seeds have just passed
the milky state. The best method is to
take an old-fashioned cradle, Cor if the land
has been left comparatively level by using
a cultivation, reaper may be used,) cut
and bind in bundles, making shocks in the
same manner as in harvesting wheat. The
seeds may be threshed out in week or
two after cutting, with an ordinary wheat
thresher, taking care TO have sheets or some
obstruction, fifteen or twenty feet from the
thresher, SO as to prevent the seeds from
being driven too far. A wheat fan with
the blower holes closed, will clean them
rapidly and nicely.
The best soil is a rich black loan, free
from stones and retentive of moisture.
The millet is a greedy feeder, and requires
the best of soils to insure a good yield.
MiIlet seed exacts from the soil about
double the per centage Of mineral ingredi-
ents that wheat does, and is therefore dOubly
Is exhaustive. Indeed, with the excep-
lions of flaxseed, hemp and mustard seed,
we believe agricultural statistics and science
have shown no crop that draws more
heavily upon the soil. And the demand
upon the soil is greatly increased when
millet is grown for seed and not for forage.
The rapidly of assimilation increases as
the reproductive functions are brought into
activity. 1t is possible to grow a good yield
of millet for forage upon land that will get
but few seed.
German millet, Of late years, is thought
10 be best for hay. The stalk is not so
hard, or woody, and the yield is fully as
great, or greater, than the cid double stalk,
large stem American millet. Hungarian
grass, a species Of millet, for long while
held the front rank among stock feeders as
a rich and nutritious diet for horses and
cows, but latterly it is thought to have an
injurious effect upon the kidneys. This we
Aoubt. We have fed it for years and have
never had fatter or healthier stock than
when using it, They prefer it to timothy