The Brunswick times. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 188?-1900, 1897-06-06
INQUIRIES
ANSWERED
Commissioner Nesbitt Replies
to Questions.
KATFIR CORN A DR0UTH REsIsTER

German MilIet Not Injurious to the Land.
How to Destroy Insects In the Garden
and orchard--A Plan For Making Wine
and vinegar--southern Blight Ia To-
matO Plants and WatermelOns.
QUEsTIoN.-I would like to know
more of this crop, which is said to be
such a fine resister of drouth Is it too
late to plant it now, and what kind of
land suits it best? Is it good feed for
stock, and what is the best time to cut
1T; also the best variety to SOW?
sWER.-Kaffir corn is classed with
the non. saccharine sorghums, and like
all plants of its class, it endures drouth
with much less injury than corn. When
corn has once been stunted it never re-
covers, but in the hot arid regions of
the west, when the corn crop has been
destroyed by the drying winds, Kaffir
corn, although checked in its growth,
and curled up for days, and even weeks,
will, if the rains are not delayed too
late in the season, revive and produce a
crop of grain. The feeding value of the
grain has not been fully tested. The
experiments so far do not justify the
statement that it is equal to corn as
stock food. The grain being small, and
liable to be swallowed by the animals
before being properly masticated, it
should always be ground. Otherwise
the unchewed grains will swell after
being taken into the stomach and pro.
duce unpleasant. and even dangerous
symptoms. To horses and cattle it is
fed dry. To hogs it is mixed with the
Stops.
1t is not too late to plant it, as it ma
lures in about four months 1t is not
particular as to the quality Of the land
on which it is planted, and while it re.
spends best to rich soils, it will yield a
crop on land too poor for corn. 1t will
grow on clay or sandy land, bottoms or
uplands, and all things considered, is a
splendid supplementary crop, in case
the corn and other food crops are cut off.
The Blackhulled White variety CAT
rican millet) seems to combine all the
best qualities of the other varieties.
The grain being white is like all the
white varieties, nonastringent and bet
ter relished by stock. Besides this ad-
vantage it has in part the earlier ma
turity and superior yield of the red va.
rieties and the seed does not shatter
when ripe Prepare the soil as for corn
and bring to fine filth by narrowing.
During the first few weeks the plants
10 not grow rapidly and care should be
taken that they do not become clicked
by weeds or grass. Under favorable
conditions the plants attain a height
of from to 61a feet, and as the roots
lie very near the surface, cultivation
should be shallow and should altogether
cease when the heads begin to form
AS hay crop it is not as desirable as
some of the sweet varieties of sorghum.
For grain the crop should be cut and
shocked as soon rs the grain is ripe
. 5 - sF7sT77=7F
are apt to fall out and waste. The fod-
der remains green after the grain ma
lures and is therefore in excellent con-
dition to be cured. For hay, the crop
should be cut when the heads begin to
form, but to get the best feeding value
of the crop it should be allowed to ma
ture seeds-these are cured with the
stalks, and afterwards the heads are
cut off, threshed and ground, and the
fodder fed separately State Agricult-
ural Department..