54 THE BOOK OF USEFUL' PLANTS 



the grain whole, or first ground into meal. Some- 

 times it is eaten raw; sometimes parched and 

 eaten dry, or boiled in milk. 



Hungarian grass, a fox-tail millet, is a good 

 example of the group whose seeds are borne in 

 compound spikes, each full as a heavy bunch of 

 grapes, and crowded on the central stem, forming 

 a long head that the stalk cannot hold erect. 

 Pearl or cat-tail millet holds up its stiff, bearded 

 spike, six to fourteen inches long, on a stalk that 

 towers to a height of from six to fifteen feet. Such 

 a plant can produce a wonderful amount of forage, 

 and it may be cut three times a year in temperate 

 climates. Its succulence prevents its quick curing 

 as hay, and the quick development of tough 

 fibres spoils it for hay if left till ripe. So farmers 

 test the new plants to find out which ones are best 

 for their needs. Millets may be the great Amer- 

 ican silage crop of the future. They promise well 

 for pastures, and for green manure to sow after a 

 grain crop has failed. The mixed bird seed sold 

 for canaries contains some millet. 



Poultry foods are enriched by an addition of 

 Hungarian and Proso millets, both large-grained 

 and as rich in protein as wheat. The Prosos are 

 a group with better seed, but poorer as a forage 

 plant. 



