OiS Grasses and Leguminous Crops in New York 



PROso or broom-corn millet 



This millet is probably native in Central Asia, but it has been 

 grown under cultivation in Europe from prehistoric times and 



is considered in that coun- 

 try as the " common mil- 

 let." A loose-panicled 

 form of it is shown in 

 Fig'. 645. The prosos can 

 be logically divided into 

 three botanical groups :* 

 (1) effusum, with very 

 loose panicles; (2) con- 

 tractunij, with medium- 

 loose panicles; and (3) 

 compactum, with dense 

 panicles. These forms 

 may be agriculturally 

 described as (1) panicle 

 prosos; (2) brush prosos; 

 and (3) club prosos. 



There are many agri- 

 cultural varieties avail- 

 able in the United States, 

 among the most impor- 

 tant of which are the Black 

 Veronezh, Red Orenburg, 

 Tambov, Manitoba, Early 

 Fortune, Red Russian, 

 Rod Veronezh, Red Lump, 

 and Turghai. Tests made by the U. S. Department of Agricul- 

 ture have shown the Black Veronezh, Tambov, and Red Oren- 

 burg to be about the most reliable varieties. 



In Asia and Europe, especially in Russia, proso is grown as a 

 cereal crop, being very seldom used for forage. In America it is 

 most important in North Dakota, South Dakota, eastern Montana, 

 and Manitoba, but can be produced successfully farther south in 

 Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, and Wyoming, and east in Minne- 



FiG. 645. — A Single Plant of Pkoso or 

 Broom-corn Millet. 



* Piper, C. V. Forage plants and their culture, p, 296 (1914). 



