FORAGE CROPS 113 



Millets. — There are several kinds of millets. All of them 

 have come to us from the Old World. In India certain kinds 

 of millets are raised for seed and used for human food. In 

 America millets are raised almost entirely for forage. A 

 small quantity of seed is produced, but it is used mostly for 

 sowing again and for bird-seed. Millets are grown mostly as 

 catch crops. A catch crop is one planted late in the season 

 after it is seen that some other crop is going to be a failure, 

 or, when the farmer finds that he will not have enough hay 

 for his needs. Millet is one of the principal "catch crops." 

 All millets are grass-like plants. 



There are four classes of millets : 



1. Foxtail miWets when headed out look much like the 

 weed called foxtail. There are many varieties of the foxtail 

 millets. The best known varieties are Common, German, 

 and Hungarian millets. The Hungarian is finer stemmed 

 than any of the others and makes the best hay. Foxtail mil- 

 lets grow best on well-prepared loam soils. The seed is sown 

 broadcast at the rate of one-half to three-fourths of a bushel 

 per acre. It should then be covered lightly with a harrow. The 

 seeds soon germinate, and the plants grow rapidly. As soon as 

 millet heads out and blossoms it should be cut for hay. If the 

 seed is allowed to form and get solid, the hay is not safe feed 

 for horses. Millet is cut and dried for hay just as other grasses. 



2. The Barnyard millets are quite different from the fox- 

 tail millets. They are coarser stemmed and have a more 

 branched head. The seed is larger and not so heavy. This 

 class of millets requires richer and damper soils than any of 

 the others. The seed is sown at the rate of about one and a 

 fourth bushels per acre. This millet is almost too coarse for 

 good hay and is not much in favor with farmers. 



