238 FARM CROPS 



ond season gives a better yield than the first. Usu- 

 ally two cuttings and sometimes three are obtained 

 annually and from 2 to 5 tons to the acre. In pro- 

 viding a mixture, it is a good rule to use only a 

 small proportion of this grass in the regular mixture. 



TEOSINTE. A forage plant closely related to 

 corn. It is an annual and in appearance much like 

 corn with no ear formed. The tassel looks very 

 much like corn. It grows very rank, stands from 10 to 

 15 feet in height and bears a great quantity of leaves 

 and tender stems. A single root may possess 40 to 

 50 stalks. A rich soil with a good deal of moisture 

 is demanded by it and it fancies hot climates. It 

 cannot resist drouth and for this reason in the drier 

 sections of the country sorghum and kafir corn are 

 more desirable crops. It is grown very little in the 

 Northern states, its preference being for the South 

 along the gulf. The best time to plant is in the 

 latter part of May or early June. It is put in drills 

 3 to 4 feet apart and planted 12 to 16 inches apart 

 in the row. If hill planted three or four seeds 

 should be used to the hill and the hills placed 3 

 feet apart in the row. Rich lands call for less seed 

 than poor lands. Generally speaking about 3 

 pounds of seed are used to the acre when thick 

 planting is resorted to and I pound to the acre for 

 rich and fertile soils. 



The crop is best used for soiling purposes. It is 

 so juicy and succulent that to cure it, especially 

 in moist regions, is well-nigh an impossibility. 

 It has been successfully ensiled, but is not so good 

 for this purpose as corn. One beauty about the 

 crop for soiling purposes is that it can be cut several 

 times during a season. If allowed to mature and 

 used as dry fodder it makes a very heavy yield, 



