The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-04-08
AGRICULTURAL.



and, in reply, will give our readers what in
formation we have concerning it.
There are several varieties of milet, but the
one generally cultivated in this country Ii
what is known as Hungarian grass. 1t ha:
been cultivated ia Hungary as a grain fol
horses and was brought to America from thai
country; hence its name. Its leaves are
shaped somewhat like those OF barn-grass ant
it has a long head, somewhat resembling
herds-grass when in bloom.
On good ground it grows very tall and rank
aud very large amount can be grown on ar
acre. We have grown it considerably, ap(
We know of nothing with which a farmer car
more easily piece out light crop of hay. 1t:
quality depends very much upon how it i.
grown. Ii sowed thin, on rich land, it grows
very coarse and rank, bat, il fair land be prop
erly seeded with it, it makes fodder which
stock relish and which will give a great
amount of lat and milk. For working horses
or oxen, we should prefer herdsgrass. but fol
cows it is excellent feed. 1t is hot-weathe
plant and should not be sown until after thu
first of june
We fnd in the public records of "Tht
Farm-Yard Club of JOHANN DR.. Loring'
opision of this grass, which corresponds very
nearly with our own:-
'For my mich cows, for young stock, fo
ought to, raise Hungarian grass. Somebod,,
said it was poor stuff for horses; that it hur
them that it made them broken-winded, an(
bloated their legs, and made them lose fest
when their food was changed. But I never
found any such trouble as this with it. l have
fed young horse On it, in the fall of the wear
not long after it was got into the barn, and be
grew fat aud strong faster than l have eveI
known horses to do on hay and grain. Ihave
used it for working horses and they did well
on it. Aud l have ted it now aud then to my
working oxen, and they like it for change al
least. l raise 1t, however, mostly for my
mich cows. 1t will make more milk thar
English hay. And when have a good mill
market lay in for good supply of Hunga
rian. This kind of grass raise just as I de
barley or oats or rye. 1t will srow but one
year, and SO you must pillow and manure and
seed every year ii you want to get crop. II
Will not grow On poor land. | see John
Thomas looking at me, and l want to say tc
him that am not talking about green food fol
cows IN the summer season,-so be needn't
think am coming into his theory about fod
oer-corn. am talking now about hay /; so ht
can look the other way if he likes, and will
have no more fuss with him. 1 say wan
good land for it. II have had piece in corr
and have manfred it well, / like to raise Hun
garian on it. And first pillow early In The
spring, as soon as the frost is out of the
ground. l then let the land lie until about
the first OF June give it about six cords Of
weli.rolte manure to the acre; pillow it in
shallow; then pillow again harrow as fast as
can and Then SOW my seed. Half a bushel O
hungarian grass-seed TO the acre is enough
IL you SOW more, the crop is apt to be shor,
and very fine. 1t lacks tirmness; and when Il
Is cut and dried it wthers away. The seet
shoud be brushed in or narrowed in with 9
very light barrow, and the land rolled. Now
II this IS all done between the first and mid
Ole oil June, when the weather is warm anG
the earth is beginning to feel the summer
neat, you can get your seed started before the
weeds spring up, and the chances are that YOU
Will get good crop. III you SOW earlier. the
weeds will get the start OF you. If you sow
later, the crop will not have time to grow be.
lore the summer hay making weather is ali
over. The great trouble in raising Hungarian
IS the weeds; and have told you the best wav
TO avoid them, because have heard so much
complaint that the crop is almost worthless
aud hardly worth raising on account of this
nuisance. Prepare the land we'll, manure it
We'll, SOW the seed when the weather is really
warm, warm enough to bring up the corn
and make 1t grow right along, aud, my word
for it, you will not be disappointed. You can
get four tons or more OF this kind of hay to
the acre; it does not get damaged by getting
wet, as English hay does; it will stand the ef-
feet OF storm about as we'll as corn-fodder
and it always spends well when fed to mlcb
COWS in the winter. am talking about sras,
cut and made into hay; and hope no one viii
charge me with abandoning my fodder-corn
Tor raise that still, to use in the dry summe,
weeks 10 August and September, before the
fail iced comes. But raise Hungarian. acres
and acres OF it every season, for winter feed for
ny mich cows. it is rank, coarse and
aSd,1. en1p ,s and vet IL With warm water,
auolng meal and shorts. And am as sure
as am that am alive, that no better food
Tor cows can be found. 1 reckon that an acre
oil good Hungarian grass fed to good cows.
cows that will give fifteen quarts a day, and
these are good enough, will bring $3.50 be.
sides the manure, and this is doing pretty
well, when you consider that there is no hoe
Ing to be done and that the harvesting is as
easy as harvesting the hay crop. Do YOU
oouot this? see Barnes smile. But reckon
II up and see. Four tons of the hay. which
VIII grow on one acre, will feed two cows six
mouths. Ii they give fifteen quarts a day
eacn and you sell your milk for six cents q
quart,-and l calculate to get more.-you will
receive 10 six months $500. Allow $40 OF
TINS for grain for your cows, aud you have
Sz50 as the result of that work, or my arth.
metic is all wrong. 1 call this doing pretty
well. Aud am willing to raise Hungarian
as long as keep cows, sell milk, and make
manure. La reckoning my profits on an acre
oil Hungarian grass, have said that fed il
to cows givingsfilteen quarts of milk day.
don't expect COW to give more in winter in
herd OF thirty or forty, and don't want one
which will give less. / an very careful to have
my cows begin to milk in the fall. If they
must be fed all winter, want them to pay fol
what they eat as well as they cam"