the Austro-Hungarian Empire. 351 



So far as growing forage-crops is concerned, we have not much 

 to learn from Hungarian practice. Attention has already been 

 directed to the cultivation of maize in England, but so far with- 

 out much success. Its great prevalence not only over Hungary, 

 but also in Silesia and Saxony, even in high-lying districts, 

 indicates considerable hardihood, while the large number of 

 varieties which cultivation has produced encourages the hope 

 that still hardier sorts might be propagated. If maize or Indian 

 corn could be established as a fodder-crop in England, it would, 

 no doubt, be a great assistance to the stockkeeper. 



Professor Tormay, of Pesth, writes to the ' Agricultural 

 Gazette,' 1874 : — " The number of pastoral herbs that thrive 

 well in the great Hungarian plain is very small. Lucern is the 

 only one on which we can rely in those parts of the plain where 

 the subsoil water lies deep. Red clover and sainfoin do not 

 thrive well. The principal safe and early green forage crop is 

 rye sown early in autumn. When this begins to turn old, the 

 first cut of lucern is ready. After this comes^millet or ' Mohar ' 

 (jP. italicuni), which gives an excellent fodder for oxen and cows 

 in its fresh green state if not too old ; for sheep and horses it 

 makes a capital hay. For pigs we have plenty of provender in 

 the shape of maize and pumpkins." 



In the management and preservation of fodder-crops,, the 

 Austrians and Hungarians are in advance of English agricul- 

 turists. Almost all green food is cut with chaff-cutters and 

 used in the house. On no occasion did I observe sheep or 

 cattle " folded " on fodder-crops. The heat is too great and the 

 green food is too valuable to allow of such a system, and conse- 

 quently all is brought home, and the greater part is consumed 

 by cattle. It was strange to observe the care with which fodder 

 was treated, and to hear the exact weight per head per day 

 required by a stable of cows or work-oxen. 



The system of making " sour-hay " is also well worth the 

 attention of English agriculturists. It is done by digging long 

 graves or trenches, 4 feet by 6 or 8 feet, in depth and breadth, 

 and cramming the green grass or green Indian corn tightly down 

 into them, covering the whole up with a foot of earth. The pre- 

 servation is complete, and the wetter the fodder goes together 

 the better. No salt is used, and the operation is as simple as 

 it appears in the description. (See Fig, 5, p. 377.) 



This sour-hay affords a capital winter fodder, and when cut 

 out with hay-spades, it is found to be rich brown in colour and 

 very palatable to stock. The making of sour-hay is very similar 

 to the process of preserving " pressling," or sugar-beet pulp, which 

 also is stored in long graves until wanted for winter's use. 



All fodder and hay for sheep, cattle, and horses are placed at 



