328 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



they are very susceptible to rust and the results have gener- 

 ally proved unsatisfactory. Oats are quite hardy and will 

 continue to grow until the ground freezes. They may there- 

 fore serve the purpose of nitrogen conservation. They grow 

 quickly and may therefore be employed as a green-manuring 

 crop, but they have no power to take nitrogen from the air 

 and cannot be considered particularly valuable. They are 

 suited to medium and moderately heavy soils. From two to 

 three bushels of seed to the acre are required. 



Barley. — Barley is not infrequently grown as a catch- 

 crop with satisfactory results. Sown in July or August it 

 generally proves more satisfactory as a green fodder in 

 autumn than oats. We have found it less liable to rust. 

 Barley hay is considered excellent by those who have used 

 it, but on the whole it is to be regarded as inferior in impor- 

 tance to Hungarian grass and the millets as a source of hay. 

 As a green-manuring crop its position is about the same as 

 that of oats. It cannot enrich the soil in nitrogen, but grow- 

 ing until the ground freezes it may conserve soil nitrogen. 

 It is suited to moderately light and medium soils, and from 

 two to three bushels of seed per acre are required. 



Hungarian Grass. — Hungarian grass is probably more 

 often grown as a catch-crop in Massachusetts than any other. 

 When the farmer sees that he is likely to be short of hay he 

 most frequently sows Hungarian grass, and this kind of 

 millet (for it is a millet) fairly deserves the reputation which 

 it enjoys. It is a very quick grower and is finer, therefore 

 more easily made into palatable hay, than most of the other 

 millets. It may also be used as green feed, though for this 

 purpose it must be considered inferior to the Japanese barn- 

 yard millet. Hungarian grass is recommended sometimes 

 for green-manuring, but for this purpose it has nothing spe- 

 cial to recommend it save its quick growth. It cannot gather 

 nitrogen, it is killed by frost and so is not a nitrogen con- 

 server, and it is not deep rooted. It is suited to light and 

 medium soils, and from one-half to three-fourths of a bushel 

 of seed is required per acre. 



Millets. — The number of varieties of millet is very large. 

 We have tried within the last few years twenty-five different 

 kinds. The most important of these, together with the yield 



