494 REPORT OP THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



commit depredations on the ripening grain, -wliich miglit not l>c serious if planted in 

 larger areas. Had it ground ; the tlour is inferior to wheat, but superior to Indian 

 com. The Indian corn in the same fiekl and with the same cultivation i>roduced from 

 20 to 25 bushels (shelled) to the acre. This was not a full crop. It should have been 

 nearly double the quantity. The cause of this was tlie soil being so dry from the nine 

 months' drought of last year, the light rains of this spring not saturating the ground 

 suificicntly, not penetrating more than 12 inches ; beneath that it was dry. The EgJT?- 

 tian corn is preferable to Indian com. 



F. A. Eew, of Urbana, Dallas County, Missouri, says : 



Last season I planted the China com, or Brown Doura, in drills, and cultivated. 

 The yield was 12^ per cent, more than Indian corn Treated in the same way. Stock 

 ate it ravenously ; and in the milk and butter of cows fed largely u^ion it we failed 

 to notice the bitter taste always perceived when they are fed much on Indian-corn 

 fodder. I could not see that the quantity of milk was in any way affected. I could 

 not see that work horses fed on it showed any change, though they seemed to eat a 

 great deal of it. This season I sowed the seed broadcast like oats. The yield is by 

 weight per acre 60 -per cent, more than millet growing by its side. I am not informed as 

 to their relative value per ton as fodder. But the great amount of labor required to 

 harvest, cure, and stack it, will jirevent its coming immediately into general favor. 

 Forage crops are of the first importance to us in this section, but good help is so scarce 

 that the amount of work required to handle a crop is an important item. In this 

 respect, a well set meadow is far ahead of China com. At the East the question seems 

 to be, "How much can be raised from one acre?" Here it is, "How much can one 

 man raise ? " Here land is cheap and help scarce. 



G. W. Marnock, of Helotes, Bexar County, Texas, says : 



I am glad to state that the Dhura or Egyptian com has been a success, notwith- 

 standing any amount of dry weather, and giving a return of from 50 to 60 bushels 

 per acre. It was planted the 25th day of April, in drills 4 feet apart, and harvested 

 on the 2Sth of July. At the present time (August 18), it is about to return a second 

 crop. Young shoots have sjirung from the roots, often numbering ten to fifteen, and 

 each promises to bear ears of good size, although somewhat smaller than those first 

 produced. I have had some of the seed ground, and find that it makes bread almost 

 if not quite equal to corn (maize). All domestic animals eat it ; horses prefer it to the 

 Indian corn._ Without doubt this crop will be of great value to arid regions. It with- 

 stands any amount of drought, giving a yield double that of Indian corn. 



There is a vast region in our country similarlj' arid to the western part of our State, 

 in which wheat in character like that of the north of Africa is much to bo desired, or 

 barley from Arabia. It will have to be sought for in some arid region, Asia or Africa; 

 but a successful result will be attained, I have no doubt, and thus give value to num- 

 berless acres to which no cereal is now adapted, the Egyptian com alone excepted. 

 It is not particular as to soil. That which was planted on sandy soil did as well as 

 that on our rich bottom-land. 



COTTON. 



Thomas W. Beatty, Conway boro', S. C, writes, March 12, 1880: 



I planted 3| quarts of Baggarly's Large Boll Prolific Cotton April 4, 1879, and mixed 

 seed of the Dixon Cluster, Caddy's Im^jroved, &c. The soil was sandy loam, with a 

 sandy foundation (generally considered unfit for cotton, a clay foundation being more 

 desirable). The ground was plowed in February. The last of March, after being well 

 pulverized with the harrow, it was laid off for rows 4 feet apart, by plowing furrows 

 from 6 to 7 inches deep. In these furrows I strewed coarse manure and covered with 

 two furrows, making a considerable ridge. These ridges were flattened with the 

 harrow until they were about two inches above the general level. I planted, putting 

 4 seeds to the hill and the hills 18 inches apart. The different varieties received the 

 same treatment in all respects. The Dixon bloomed and showed open bolls two or 

 three days earlier than the Baggarly. From the second picking 72 bolls of the Dixon 

 and 49 bolls of the Baggarly each weighed 1 pound. 



In September my cotton took the rust. The Baggarly was free from it more than 

 a week longer than the other kinds, and after they were eutii'cly destroyed it remained 

 green for about 20 days. I think it bloomed and boiled quite as freely as the other 

 varieties. 



I found that the Baggarly seed from 1 oiince of seed cotton weighed 480 grains ; the 

 Dixon 470 grains. So I conclude that the Baggarly will yield about 1 pound of lint 

 to the 100 pounds of seed cotton, less than the Dixon. The seed of the Baggarly is 



