The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1899-07-18

ular as "catch" crop. The AgrIcul-
tural Department has recently intro
duced some varieties which promise to
create a new interest in the crop. Mr..
Thomas A, Williams, the Assistant
Agrostologist of the Department has
been making a speciality of the study
of various kinds of milets and states
that it is his opinion that this plant
is destined to be much more largely
grown in the United States than 1t is
at present.
1T is astonishing" he said, in talk
ing with us recently on the subject,
Ito think that millet feeds about one
third of the population Of the globe
About thirty five or forty million acres
of millet are grown annually in India
alone. We have here various varieties.
In the United States the fox tail mil
lets are grown almost exclusively for
forage. They are strong and rapid
growers and grow largely from the
surface soil. The great mass Of strong
abrous roots have beneficial effect on
the ply sical condition Of the soil, par
ticularly in the case Of new land. A
crop of millet on new breaking aids
materially in subduing the land tor
the next succeeding crop.
German millet is grown a good deal
here. 1t makes heavy yield of forage
under favorable conditions, but does
not stand drought so well as the smaller
varieties, such as Common miIlet and
Hungarian. The hay is coarser and
less valuable than that from the smaller
millet, but when the forage can be fed
in the green state. This variety is an
excellent one to grow, on account of
it's heavy yield. Hungarian millet
does not resist drought as we'll as the
common millet, but with favorable
conditions of soil and moisture, it
usually gives a somewhat heavier
yield.
"a millet has been recently placed
on the market under the name of New
Siberian Millet,' which is regarded by
some as but a form OF Hungarian. The
Japanees millets form an nOther class.
They are comparatively large forms.
giving heavy yield OF eed and forage
under favorable conditions, bus with
little ability to stand drought-less
than any of the commonly grown
sorts
CITTr5or ovoro0o ooD6itjorc Rarp
yard Millet is one of the most prodUc
tive OF the annual hay grasses, yield
ing at the Hatch Station from twelve
to eighteen tons of fresh or four to six
tons of cured forage per acre. By
seeding early in May and cutting as
soon as the plants come into blossom,
a second crop may be obtained.
"When millet is handled as a pri-
mary crop, seeding is generally done
during the latter part of May or early
in June in the North, and, Of course,
correspondingly earlier in the South;
or, if the moisture conditions are favor
able, it may be delayed as late as Au
gust 1st in the latter region, the gen
eral rule being TO SOW millet as soon as
the corn is planted.
Quitting foxtail millets for hay
should never be delayed until the seed
has begun to ripen, particularly if it is
to be fed to horses. On the other
hand, it is best not to cut too early, as
the hay is liable to have a more or less
laxative 3ct upon the animals eating
it However, it is better cut early than
late The hay may be safely cut any
time during the period from complete
heading out" to late bloom.
The use of millet as an element in
annual pastures may we'll receive
greater attention from FARMERS in sec
tions where there is a general shortage