34 



consider rather too coarse to make good hay. The .TaiJanese barn-yard 

 millet will make good hay if it can be cured, but it is so succulent that 

 it is extremely difficult to cure and it is not to be recommended as a haj^ 

 crop. For green feed and to put into the silo it is, however, most excel- 

 lent. It may be either pastured or cut ; the latter I consider best. This 

 millet is enormously productive. Twenty tons per acre of green feed 

 has often been produced upon the college farm, while Geo. L. Clemence 

 of Southbi'idge reports a yield at the rate of thirty-five tons per acre. 

 As a crop for the silo this millet must be considered valuable It is 

 more easily grown than corn and makes equally good silage. For the 

 largest crop it luust be sown not later than the end of May, although a 

 crop amounting to twelve tons of green feed per acre has been produced 

 from a sowing made as late as July 20. For green feed and for the silo, 

 upon all soils not too dry, this must be regarded as the most valuable of 

 the millets, while for making into hay Hungarian grass is undoubtedly 

 better As green-manuring crops the millets rank with the Hungarian 

 grass. They have no qualities especially recommending them for this 

 use save that of rapid growth. They are not nitrogen gatherers nor 

 nitrogen conservers. 



Buckwheat. — Buckwheat is often introduced as a catch-crop, being 

 distinguished for a specially rapid growth. It is either allowed to ripen 

 or may be left as a green manure. It has only the quality of rajiid growth 

 and the ability to thrive upon light soils to esjiecially recommend it as a 

 green-manui'ing crop. It is not deep rooted, it cannot gather nitrogen, 

 it is killed by frosts and therefore cannot most effectively conserve ni- 

 trogen. In spite of these defects it is very frequently employed as a 

 green manure, too frequently perhaps, for there are other crops which 

 are superior to it for this pui'pose which would better be employed. 

 About one bushel of seed per acre is required 



While Mti star d. — This is distinguished for ver}' rapid growth and is 

 suited to light and sandy soils. It will grow usually until about the 

 10th of November. It cannot gather nitrogen, it is not especially deep 

 rooted, but it is a good nitrogen conserver. It may be either allowed 

 to die down and remain as a soil cover through the winter or it may be 

 ploughed under in November. It furnishes good feed in the autumn 

 for sheep and cattle, but cows cannot be pastured upon it on account of 

 the strong flavor which would be imparted to the milk. The seed may 

 be sown in corn at the time of the last hoeing or cultivation. It will 

 start quickly if the corn is not too thick and by its growth will keep 

 down weeds. It will not itself become a weed. Exi^eriments upon the 

 college farm have shown a slight increase in pi'oductiveness as a result 

 of sowing mustard in coi'u as described. The gain, however, has not 

 been very important. When sown in corn one-half bushel of seed per 

 acre is required. 



Bajje. — There ai'c two classes of rape, viz,, spring and winter. The 

 winter rape wherever it can be grown is an extremely valuable crop. 

 Being sown in the autumn it covers and protects the ground during the 

 late fall and winter, begins to grow very early in the following spring 

 and furnishes a larsre mass of o^reen material to turn under in season 



