Title: American farmers' manual
Identifier: americanfarmersm19pete (find matches)
Year: 1902 (1900s)
Authors: Peter Henderson & Co; Henry G. Gilbert Nursery and Seed Trade Catalog Collection
Subjects: Vegetables Seeds Catalogs; Farms Catalogs; Grasses Seeds Catalogs
Publisher: New York : Peter Henderson & Co.
Contributing Library: U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Library
Digitizing Sponsor: U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Library

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24
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JAPANESE MILLET. (Panicum crus=g;alli major.) The best recent introduction for the Silo and Cutting Green. Entirely distinct from any other millet, grows tall and produces an enormous crop. It may be sown from the middle of May to the 1st of July, broadcast, at the rate of 15 lbs. per acre, but it is better to sow it in drills, 12 to 18 inches apart, using 10 to 12 lbs. per acre, and hoed between the rows to keep down all weeds until the plant attains a height of 12 to 18 inches, when its rapid growth will smother all weeds. It grows 6 to 8 feet high, stands remark- ably well notwithstanding its great height, and yields from 10 to 12 tons green fodder per acre. When cured it makes an excellent quality of hay, and its feeding value is far superior to corn fodder, and it is much relished by all kinds of stock, whether green or cured. If to be made into hay, cure as you would a heavy crop of clover. An ideal ensilage mixture ma)' be composed of two parts of this millet to one part of soja beans (see page 24), mixed when filling the silo. The soja beans supply the albuminoids and fat in which the Corn and Millet are deficient. This mixture forms a complete balanced ration for milch cows without the addition of grain, though it is, of course, advisable to feed grain occasionally as a change. This ensilage combination will certainly become popular, and when generally used, as we predict it will be, it will result in a saving of hundreds of thous- ands of dollars annually to the dairymen and farmers of the United States. This Millet does not endure drought well, except it bi sown early in retentive soil, and it is not adapted to the cli- mate, nor is it recommended for the Southern States ; but north of Washington, and especially for good, rich soils, we confidently recommend its general cultivation. It will produce a fair second cutting, if sown early in May, and cut when in blossom. (See cut.) Especially valuable for the Northern and New England States FROM EIGHTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE HATCH EXPERIMENT STATION, OF THE MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. FOR GREEN FODDER AND THE SILO. " Of Japanese Millet several pieces, of an acre or more each, were sown for feeding green or for the silo. The earliest, sown broadcast about the middle of May on rich land, one peck of seed to the acre, averaged about six feet in height, and produced over 15 TONS PER ACRE. This was cut from day to day, beginning before the millet had blossomed. Another field of about an acre, sown the last of June, yielded at the rate of rather over iS tons per acre. Another field, sown July 26th, after a crop of hay was removed, yielded about 12 tons per acre. The crop of the two last fields was put into the silo. That cut from day to day, and fed to cows, was much relished. Its superiority to well-eared Bint corn fodder was very apparent. Cows with both before them always take the millet first: they cousume it without waste, while they are apt to leave a part of the stalks of the corn as it approaches maturity. In alternating this feed with corn fodder, the rows invariably increased in milk when put upon the millet, and fell off when changed to corn. It has been ensiled with soja beans, —about two parts by weight of the millet and one of the beaus. This combination makes very superior silage." FOR HAY. "A more extensive trial of this millet for hay has been car- ried out this year than ever before. It is coarse and difficult to dry. I have alwavs felt that these qualities would render it undesirable as a crop for hay. We have, however, cured it successfully this year, mostly in small cocks, as clover is often cured ; and the result is encouraging. The hay is coarse, but is freely eaten by horses, being preferred to a good sample of timothy, red top and clover mixture The yield of the millet is very large, having on good land amounted to 6 tons per acre of well cured hay. It will produce a fair second cutting if sown early in May and cut when in blossom." Hundreds of our customers who ha-'e procured seed of Japanese Millet from us during the past two seasons can endorse the above. Price, ioc. lb.; 10 lbs., 90c; 100 lbs., $7.So.

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