28 CIRCULAR NO. 122, BUREAU OF PLANT INDUSTRY. 



manner 3 to 5 pounds of seed to the acre will be required. The seed 

 should always be sown in a good, firm seed bed and covered with 1 to 

 2^ inches of soil. 



In only exceptional cases will it pay to sow feterita broadcast for 

 hay. However, if put in with a wheat drill for this purpose 1^ to 2 

 bushels per acre will give the best results. 



CULTIVATION. 



Feterita should be cultivated in much the same manner as corn. If 

 the ground is in good shape the harrow will be found the most 

 economical tool for the first two or three cultivations. A thorough 

 and i-ather deep cultivation should be given when the crop is about 12 

 inches high. Two later cultivations will Ije necessary to conserve 

 moisture properly, and in case the ground is foul with weeds still 

 more may be required. In these later cultivations care must be taken 

 that the surface feeding roots are not broken. 



In order to save all possible moisture it will be found Ijest to culti- 

 vate or harrow after each rain as soon as the ground is dry enough. 

 When the crop has attained such a size that a 2-horse cultivator 

 can not be used, a 1-row, 5-tooth cultivator will be found a very 

 efficient tool. This is also used in many cases to stir the surface 

 quickly after a shower when it Avould not be practicable to cultivate 

 with a 2-horse plow. When the cultivation is finished the ground 

 should be very nearly level. It does not pay to "" ridge the rows," as 

 is often done with corn or milo. 



HARVESTING. 



For combined use as forage and grain the crop should be cut in 

 the late dough stage. When planted in rows the crop can best be 

 handled with a corn harvester and ])ut in shocks of 20 to 40 bundles 

 each. In sections where there is little danger of rain the shocks may 

 be larger, if desired. If these shocks are allowed to stand for some 

 time before being headed, it will allow more complete maturity of 

 the heads borne on the suckers. \A^ien the crop is intended solely for 

 grain it should be allowed to stand until the earliest, heads are fully 

 mature. l)ut if left until all the heads on suckers are completely 

 ripe considerable seed may be lost through shattering. 



Some follow the practice of cutting the heads from the binidles 

 at the time of shocking by holding the bundles across a chopping 

 block attached to the side of the wagon box. The heads fall inside 

 the wagon box and can be hauled at once to a storage shed prepara- 

 tory to being thrashed, while the bundles are set up in the field to be 

 used later. If this practice is followed, the grain should be fully 

 mature at the time of cutting. Another method followed with the 



[(Mr. 122] 



