MISCELLANEOl - CROPS. 625 



dry conditions it has given nearly double the yield <>t' Japanese millet at 

 Hawkesbury Agricultural College, while under ordinary conditions it has 

 given much heavier yields than Manchurian or Hungarian, both at Grafton 

 and at theCoUege; Very frequently millets will outyield Sudan grass in the 

 first cut, lint millets will usually only produce one cut, whereas four cuts 

 have been obtained from Sudan grass during a season. Yields of 7 tons 

 of green fodder and 2 tons of hay per acre from the grass are common on the 

 roast while yields of 1 ton of hay per acre have been obtained from it as 

 far west as Xyngan. Under irrigation, the yields are, of course, much 

 higher. The palatability of the hay and of the chaff made from the hay 

 have been favourably reported on from all quarters, working horses being 

 particularly fond of it and doing well on it. 



Sudan grass should make good ensilage. Reports from the United States 

 of trials with ensilage-making have been summed up as follows: — "The 

 principal difference between maize and Sudan grass silage is in the quantity 

 of fibre. The Sudan silage was somewhat bulkier than maize silage, was a 

 light-brown colour and had a faint acid odour. The silage was fed to sheep 

 and, while providing a good feed, did not appear to be relished by the 

 animals as well as maize silage. It appears to be quite as palatable, however, 

 as silage from grain sorghums, and was relished much more in this form than 

 as cured hay." 



Cultural Methods. 



Sudan grass seed should be sown fairly early in the spring, as the se< I 

 germinates in much colder soils than in the case of sorghums or paspalum : 

 by sowing early, the grass is well established by midsummer and better able 

 to stand adverse conditions in January and February. By sowing late, say, 

 in December, the grass has a severe struggle to establish itself, and is likely 

 to prove a failure. In the north-west, west, and North Coast, sowing in 

 September is recommended ; elsewhere October is the best month. 



The grass may be sown broadcast or in drills, but the latter method is 

 much to be preferred, as it enables cultivation to be carried out in the early 

 stages, thus suppressing weed-growth, conserving moisture and encouraging 

 the stooling properties of the plant. The land should be prepared as in the 

 cultivation of sorghum or wheat. In sowing broadcast, 12 to 16 lb. of seed 

 per acre has been found to be a satisfactory seeding. In sowing in drills — 

 the easier and preferable way in districts of the interior — the seed should 

 be put in every third drill, which makes the rows about 1 foot 9 inches 

 apart — a sufficient interval to allow for cultivation. For drill sowing 8 lb. 

 of seed per acre is sufficient for the drier localities of the western plains, and 

 a little more should be used under irrigation or on the coast. The drier the 

 district the lighter should be the seeding, and the more vigorous the inter- 

 row cultivation for conservation of the necessary moisture. The grass can 

 easily be cut for hay with the ordinary reaper and binder. 



The best stage at which to cut is when the flowers are well showing and 

 before the -red is formed. Owing to the succulence of the plants, practically 

 as much time is required for stooking and drying as for ordinary wheat, a.id 

 a week is not too long for the grass to remain out in the field. 



For seed-production, American authorities recommend the first cut, but in 

 this .State the best results have been obtained from the last, which should 

 be regulated so as to allow the seed to mature before the cold weather sets 



