114 FIELD AND GARDEN PRODUCTS 



Shama Millet or Jungle Rice (Panicum colonum). This is a 

 grass with much the appearance of Barnyard Millet, but is smaller in 

 every way, with a simpler inflorescence or head. It is common in 

 the tropical and subtropical regions of the Old World, where it is a 

 native, and is widely introduced into the other warm regions of the 

 globe. In the United States it occurs chiefly in waste places along 

 roadsides and ditches, mostly in the South. It is quite abundant in 

 parts of the Southw r est and also in Mexico. 



Broom-Corn Millets. In the United States the term Broom-corn 

 Millet is at the present time generally applied to this Old-World 

 grass. It is the common millet of Europe, where it has been culti- 

 vated for centuries. 



Culture of Millets. For this crop a fertile, mellow soil is 

 preferable. Loams with but little clay and not too much sand give 

 the best results. Heavy clay soils require considerable working in 

 order to get them into proper condition. For spring sowing the land 

 may be plowed in the same manner and at about the same time, or 

 perhaps a little later, as for a crop of corn. 



Seeding. When millet is handled as a primary crop, seeding is 

 generally done during the latter part of May or early in June in the 

 North, and, of course, correspondingly earlier in the South; or, if 

 the moisture conditions are favorable, it may be delayed as late as 

 August 1 in the latter region. It is a general rule to sow millet as 

 soon as the corn in planted. The foxtail and broom-corn millets and 

 some of the barnyard millets are quite sensitive to cold, and hence 

 seeding should be postponed until the ground has become thoroughly 

 warm and danger from protracted cold is past. It should, however, 

 take place before the dry period of the summer begins. A succession 

 of crops for soiling or silage can easily be obtained by sowing at 

 periods of two or three weeks from May 10 to late in July. 



Millet may be harvested for the seed in the same manner as 

 small grain of any sort. One of the best ways is to cut with a self- 

 binder, place the bundles two and two in long, narrow shocks, with 

 the long diameter north and south, let stand until dry, and thrash 

 from the shocks. This method is quite generally practiced where 

 the millets are most extensively grown for seed. It is possible that 

 seed of a better quality may be obtained by stacking the millet be- 

 fore thrashing; But whether or not the gain w r ould be sufficient to 

 pay for the expense of stacking is doubtful. The crop should not 

 be allowed to become too ripe before cutting, for the seed falls out 

 badly during the process of curing and thrashing. Probably the 

 best time for harvesting for a crop of seed is when the seed is in a 

 stiff dough. 



Uses and Feeding Value. Millet is fed principally as a hay 

 and soiling crop. The forage ranks well with that of other grasses 

 in the nutritive content, and its palatability is about that of the av- 

 erage for the coarser sorts. For digestibility, millet forage compares 

 favorably with that from other coarse grasses. Already widely grown 

 as a hay crop, millets deserve more general use for soiling. They are 

 particularly valuable for feeding to dairy cattle, young stock, and 



