Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-06-26


seed heads, which, being duly thresh-
ed out at the department Of agricul-
ture at Washington, have furnished
material for experimental planting
Forty Bushels to Acre.
Meanwhile the plant bureau has been
obtaining from other parts OF the
world, through it's explorers, a num-
ber of varieties Of the same kind or
plant-notably one from Africa, which
tested in the field, has yielded forty
bushels of grain to the acre. When
l. is considered that wheat, even un-
der most favorable conditions, rarely
gives more than seventeen bushels to
the acre, it will be seen how fair
promise is offered by this new cereal.
Furthermore, one should understand
that it is a dry land crop, specially
adapted to the semiarid parts OF our
country, and requiring astonishingly
little water.
The Weld Of the Manchurian varie-
ties, though large, is not so great as
that of the one above mentioned. Much
can be done to improve them in this
respect, however, by scientific breed
ing. From a market standpoint the
kind most in demand for human food
purposes is sure to be white-the
seeds Of different varieties being OF
different colors-merely because OF
popular prejudice in favor OF white ce-
reals. This is a matter which has
nothing whatever to do with the ques-
tion Of palatability.
Already, in an experimental way
some varieties Of the grain are being
grown in northern Texas, western
Oklahoma, eastern New Mexico, and
southwestern Kansas. Their cultiva-
ton is not yet on a commercial scale,
though the new cereal is being used In
small quantities, for griddle cakes and
other such purposes, by the farmers In
that part of the country. They grind
it in little household mills, making in
this way a sufficient quantity OF the
flour to satisfy domestic requirements
1t has often been said that II we were
altogether deprived Of wheat, OF corn,
of barley and of rye, not to mention
oats, we could, by Familiarity under
stood processes Of selection and breed
ing develop entirely new and very
satisfactory cereals from various grass
es. The above mentioned grains, or
course, are all OF them merely grasses
But here in this grain sorghum, II sucn
| it may be called, is a valuable cereal
already developed. 1t is one OF the
most valuable and desirable food plants
in the world, and its cultivation, en-
couraged by che department Of agri-
culture, is destined to prove great
source of wealth to this country.
The plant bureau, however, is not
yet prepared to furnish seeds. Any
body who wants them would do well
to write to the agricultural experiment
stations in Oklahoma and Texas, max
ing inquiry as to the sources from
which they may be obtained. 1t is un-
derstood, by the way that manufactur-
ers of breakfast foods are already be-
ginning to purchase the new grain, In
such quantities as are obtainable, for
use in their products-an excellent tes-
timonial surely to its quality.
Broom Corn MiIIet.
The other new grain is the so-called
broom corn millet, which was brought
to this country from Russia not long
ago with the idea that it would prove
valuable as a semiarid crop. However,
experiment has proved that most sat
isfactory results with it are obtained
in comparatively humid and cool re-
gions, as in the Dakotas, where 1t is
beginning to be planted on a consider
able scale. The farmers in that part
of the country are utilizing 1t for
breakfact cakes and in lieu Of oatmeal,
in which forms it Is particularly deli
ciOus.
The millet in question, which has
much larger seeds than thos9 Of ordi-
nary millet, was brought to the Unit
ed States by Mark A. Carleton OF the
division of grain investigation, Sec
ton of the plant bureau which has
charge Of all this sort Of work. AS yet
it is cultivated in only comparatively
small way, but it is beginning to be
known not only in the Dakotas, but
also in Montana, Idaho and Washing
ton. It's yield is large, amounting to
twenty one bushels or more to the acre.
If we had no wheat it would quickly
prove an admirable substitute.
Seeds of this plant may be obtain
ed by application to the agricultural
experiment stations in North and
South Dakota. At all events, IL these
stations are not in a position to supply
them, they will tell where they can be
got One man in North Dakota has
gone into the business Of cultivating
broom corn millet on an extensive scale,
and has several hundred acres plant
ed with it at the present time. His
name is Glover and his address is the
postoffice called Glover
Improved by Breeding.
The yield per acre of broom corn mil
let will be greatly increased doubtless
by those processes of breeding which
have already been reduced to such a
scientific basis. The same processes
are being applied continuously to our
common cereals, especially wheat and
corn, with results that are nothing
short of wonderful. A bushel an acre
added by such means to the corn rro-
duction of a single state represents a
great sum of money added to the an
nual income Of the farmers. OF course
the same remark applies to other ce-
real products.
To such a point Of exactitude is the