Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1909-1915, 1910-07-29
1lLLET CROP IS VALUABLE
ment for Hay and Pasture-
Proper Time to Cut.

TBy o. o. CHURCHILL. Assistant Pro-
fessor Of Agriculture. Agricultural
College. North Dakota.)
Millets are usually grown as catch
nrops and to fill in places, which
could otherwise be wasted. When
early seeded crops fail for any rea.
son and 1t is too late to reseed, millet
may well 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-
uese. The most common varieties of
Ahe foxtail are the common, German,
Hungarian, and Siberian; of the
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
Vet Is commonly used, it includes
some sorghums as pearl millet. The
Term Is very general one.
The foxtail millets have heads in
spikes. They are grown chiefly for
Ray and in pasture mixtures. The
sommon millet Is seldom grown and
q 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
nillet, and is best suited to heavy and
s1ch coils. German millet produces
well and makes very good quality OF
hay. The Hungarian millet may be
ehey being of about equal numbers
tight and dark colored Hungarian
millet Is becoming very popular in
North Dakota, as it is considered to
be more drought resistant, and 1t
makes a finer 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 at
this station do not show such re-
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
Hight for the production of barley or
other grains. The seeds should be
ground before feeding.
The Japanese millets are close rela-
dves of our wild barnyard grass,
which Is a weed everywhere, espe-
cially on low ground. They are not
very popular and 1t is doubtful II they
are as valuable for hay as the Hun
Garian or German millets.
Millets are grown for seed, for hay,
for soiling crops, as pastures, and In
pasture mixtures. Two pecks should
be sown per acre of any Of the varie-
ties named. Seeding should be de.
aayed until the ground becomes warm
and is in good condition. AS the seed
"a small. it should not be planted
more than ~ inches deep.
There is q good deal of controversy
as to the proper time to cut millet fol
nay. Millet hay usually has a very
injurious effect when fed to horses
and it is claimed that this can be over
come by cutting at the propert time
The millet should be cut before the
seeds are well formed. 1t Is doubtful
If the injurious effect can be overcome
by changing the time of cutting. u
fed to horses, it should be alternatet
with some hay made from grass.