Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-08-10
MILLET CROP IS VALUABLE
None Other viii Make Better Supple
ment for Hay and Pasture
Proper Time 70 Cut.

By O. o. CHURCHILL. Assistant Pro-
lessor of Agriculture. Agricultural
College, North Dakota-)
Millets are usually grown as catch
crops and to fill in places, which
would otherwise be wasted. When
early seeded crops fail for any req
son and 1t is too late to reseed, millet
may we'll be grown. No other crop
will make a better supplement for
hay and pasture.
There are three general types Of
millet: foxtail, broom corn, and Japa-
nese. The most common varieties Of
the foxtail are the common, German,
Hungarian, and Siberian; of tho
broom corns, hog. White Ural, Voro-
nezh and Russian; Of the Japanese or
barnyard grass, there are few well
developed varieties. As the term mil
let is commonly used, it includes
some sorghums as pearl millet. The
term is a very general one.
The foxtail millets have heads In
spikes. They are grown chiefly for
hay and in pasture mixtures. The
common millet ia seldom grown and
is not as satisfactory as the German
millet which is resembles. Seed sold
for common millet is very apt to be
composed of pigeon grass. The Ger
man millet has large nodding heads;
it is larger. and later than common
millet, and is best suited to heavy and
rich soils. German millet produces
we'll and makes very good quality OF
hay. The Hungarian millet may b
recognized by the color Of the seeds;
they being of about equal numbers
light and dark colored. Hungarian
millet is becoming very popular In
North Dakota, as 1t is considered to
be more drought resistant. and 1t
makes a inner quality of hay than
those mentioned previously.
Most seed companies handle both
northern and southern grain seeds Of
these varieties; southern grown seed
is supposed to be better adapted for
the production Of hay, giving larger
yields, but the incompleted expert
ments, which have been conducted 1t
this station do not show such -
suits.
The broom corn millets are grown
for the seeds which are used for feed.
They Withstand large amounts OF
drought and will produce satisfactory
grain yields on soils too dry and too
light for the production Of barley or
other grains. The seeds should b
ground before feeding.
The Japanese millets are close relar
lives Of our wild barnyard grass,
which is a weed everywhere, espe'
cially on low ground. They are not
very popular and it is doubtful II they
are as valuable for hay as the Hun
Earian or German millets.
Millets are grown for seed, for hay,
for soiling crops, as pastures, and In
pasture mixtures, y Two pecks should
be sown per acre Of any of the varie
ties named. Seeding should be do
layed until the ground becomes warm
and is in good condition. AS the seed
Is small, it should not be planted
more than N inches deep.
There is a good deal Of controversy
as to the proper time to cut mfllet for
hay. Millet hay usually has very
injurious effect when fed to horses,
and It is claimed that this can be over
come by cutting at the propert tina
The millet should be cut before the
seeds are well formed. It n doubtful
II the injurious effect can be overcome
by changing the time of cutting. u
fed to horses, It should be alternated
with some hay made from grass.