96 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



grass, Faniciim Cnts-galli, is a member of the same family, and 

 has been occasionally tried for green fodder, and by some has been 

 stated to be both nutritive and very acceptable to cattle. 



Zca mays — Maize — Indian Corn. This is a proper grass in a 

 botanical view, although like wheat, barley and oats, usually grown 

 for its grain ; yet as a foJder plant it is of exceeding value, and has 

 come to be so appreciated by our farmers that many now grow it to 

 greater or less extent, especially for feeding to milch cows during 

 the summer drouth which occurs so ofton that it is always safe and 

 wise to be prepared for it. As a resource in such case, it is the 

 most valuable plant we possess, and deserves more extended culture. 

 The only difficulty in the way of storing immense crops of dry fodder 

 from Indian corn, is the extreme juiciness of the stalks and foliage. 

 We yet need extensive and continued experiments to show the most 

 feasible and economical method of curing it for winter use. Several 

 methods have been suggested, and to a limited extent tried, but not 

 sufficiently. One is to spread it upon racks in a building roofed 

 over and open at the sides, and another by artificial heat in a manner 

 analogous to kiln drying — both are said to have proved successful. 



The amount which could be groAvn upon an acre is very large, 

 greater than from any other plant, and when well cured it is ex- 

 ceedingly palatable and nutritious. 



For this purpose it is deemed best to sow the Southern or Western 

 dent corn in drills two and a half to three feet asunder, so as to 

 allow the passage of the cultivator between the drills, and at the 

 rate of three or four bushels per acre. When grown for winter use 

 it should be sown quite thick and early, as thus it is more easily 

 dried. If for soiling purposes, it should be sown at intervals of a 

 week or ten days, beginning the latter part of May, and in all cases 

 ujDon land in deep and fine tilth and well manured. 



Sorg/mm ? Chinese Sugar Cane. — This plant was 



introduced a few years since, with high recommendations both for 

 the production of syrup and sugar and as a forage plant. In its 

 latter capacity, the most contradictory results have been observed : 

 and as many still deem it valuable for late fodder, it may be well, 

 by way of caution, here to quote the following, translated from an 

 article by the Marquis de Yibrave, published in a recent No. of the 

 "Journal D' Agriculture Pratique." " If the effects observed, not 



