THE FOXTAIL MILLET Si 321 



United States it is an excellent substitute for millet as a 

 catch crop for late seeding. 



422. Culture. Sudan grass grows best in a firm seed bed. 

 It is usually sown on spring plowing which has been well 

 fined and packed by thorough harrowing. Seeding should 

 be delayed till the soil is thoroughly warm; for, like other 

 sorghums, Sudan grass does not grow well in cool weather. 

 As a general rule, sowing at or just after corn-planting time 

 will give good results. In humid sections, the best quality 

 of hay is produced from sowing 15 to 25 pounds of hay to the 

 acre broadcast or with the ordinary grain drill. In the Great 

 Plains, however, sowing 2 to 6 pounds of seed in rows suf- 

 ficiently far apart to allow cultivation is much safer. Sowing 

 in rows is also advisable wherever seed production is desired. 



423. Uses. This grass is most useful for hay production, 

 though it may be cut and fed green or made into silage. The 

 best quality of hay is produced if cut when in full bloom 

 or just passing out of bloom, but the yield from second and 

 later crops will be larger if the first crop is cut before full 

 bloom is reached. In the South, as many as three or four 

 crops may be cut in a season, particularly if the rainfall is 

 abundant. The hay cures readily and is nutritious. On 

 account of its fineness and leafiness it is more palatable than 

 sorghum hay, and has replaced sorghum to a considerable ex- 

 tent as a hay crop. If cowpeas or some other legume is 

 sown with the Sudan grass, the yield and feeding value of 

 the hay are increased. 



THE FOXTAIL MILLETS 



424. Origin and Description. The term "millet," as 

 already noted (Section 321), is applied to a number of annual 

 grasses, even the sorghums being known by this name in 

 some countries. In the present discussion it is appUed par- 

 ticularly to what is known as foxtail millet, Setaria italica. 

 This plant has long been cultivated in China and other por- 



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