The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1880-01-28
AGRICULTURE


which there exists so much diversity
of opinion of its merits as the Pear'
millet, although it has been long
known and extensively cultivated IN
our Southern States and other south
ern attitudes, under the various
names of ''Cat-tail millet, "Airlcan
cane" "Horse millet," ETC., and 1t Is
only within the past two or three
years that vt has been generally dit
fused through the Northern States
where it has been known as Pearl
millet."
The reason for the diversity oil
opinion of its value in our Northern
States is undoubtedly owing TO Tue
failure OF many in attempting It's
culture, owing to want oil kno"i-
edge OF the nature of the plant; for
wherever it has been properly euiti-
rated lin any section where our In
dian corn will mature according to
the directions will here give, there
can be but one opinion, and that Is
that it will produce more weight oil
crop in shorter time than any other
fodder plant known to US. The fol-
lowing is an extract from my report
of our experiment with it 10 1875
which was nearly corroborated ny
our experiments with it in 1872
though, owing to the unusual drought
after sowing in May, the seed did not
terminate so quickly, and hence
little weaker growth than in the
first crop:
"a piece of good strong loamy
ground was prepared as If for beet
or turnip crop, by manuring with
stable.manure, at the rate of ten tons
to the acre, blowing ten inches deep,
and thoroughly narrowing. The
millet was then sown in drills eigh'
teen inches apart, at the rate OF eight
quarts to the acre. We sowed on the
18th of May, about the date we plant
corn; in twelve days the plants were
up so that cu,tivator could be run
between the rows, after which no
further culture was necessary, for
the growth became so rapid and lux
uriant as to crowd dowk every weed
that attempted to geE fooshold.
The first cutting was 4afde July LIST,
forty five days after sa@ing; it was
then seven feet high, covering the
whole ground, and the crop, cut three
inches above the ground, weighed
qreen at the rate of thirty tons pev
acre; this when dried gave six and
one half tons per acre as hay. After
cutting, q second growth started,
and was cut August 18th, forty -fye
DAYS from time of the first cutting,
It's height was nine feet; it weighed
this time at the rate Of fifty five tons
to the acre green, and eight tons
dried. The third crop started as
rapidly as the second, but the cool
September nights lessened its tropi'
cal luxuriance, so that this crop,
which was cut October LIST, only
weighed ten tons green and one and
one half tons dried. The growth
was simply enormous, thus: first
crop in as days gave 55 tons green
or 81 tons dry; second crop in Al
days gave IS tons green, or s tons
dry; third crop in As days gave II
tons green, or Il tons dry; the aggre
gate weight being 95 tons of greer
fodder in 1875 days from date of SOW
ing, and Is tons when dried to hay
This exceeds the clover meadows o
Mid Lothian, which, when irrigated
by the sewerage from the city o
Edinburgh, and cut every four weeks
gave an aggregate Of seventy iv
tons of green clover per acre. Their
is little doubt that Pearl milet i
equally as nutritious as corn fodder
which it resembles even more than
does any of the other millets. W
found that all our horses and cattl
ate it greedily whether green or dry
If sowing in drills is not practicable
it may be sown broadcast, usin
double the quantity of seed, say six
teen quarts per acre. The groun
should be smootbed by the harrow
and again lightly narrowed afte
sowing; il rolled after narrowing q
the better. / know of no farm Gro
that will better repay high manurine
but so great is its luxuriance that
will produce a better crop withor
manure than any other plant that
know of. In those parts Of th
Southern States where hay can NJ
be raised this is o substitute of I'll