CHAPTER IX. 



MILLETS. 



Millet is one of the most important and valuable 

 soiling crops grown in this country. Its great 

 value as soiling food arises, 1st, from the palatable 

 and nutritious character of the food which it pro- 

 duces; 2nd, from the shortness of the period re- 

 quired to grow it; 3rd, from the large amount 

 of food that can be grown upon rich land ; 4th, from 

 the wide distribution of the crop; and 5th, from 

 the many and various places which may be assigned 

 to it in the rotation, consequently when it becomes 

 better known, it will be used as soiling food to a 

 much greater extent than it is at the present time. 



Millet is of many species and varieties, not a 

 few of which have been but little tested in this 

 country, and consequently they are not as yet well 

 understood. The classification of the millets is still 

 regarded as incomplete by the Department of 

 Agrostology at Washington, but for the present 

 the said Department has grouped them as the fox-; 

 tail, the barnyard, the broom corn and the pearl- 

 groups. To the foxtail millets belong such sorts as 

 the Common, the German, the Hungarian and the 

 Golden wonder varieties. These are relatively small 

 and fine in their habit of growth. German millet 

 is characterized by an abundant leaf growth. Hun- 

 garian millet produces heads of a dark shade, hence 



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