1.S97.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT— No. 33. 35 



ing crops ; 7 varieties of oats ; several varieties of sorghum 

 recommended for fodder, — saccaline, iris, beggar weed and 

 cystisus, all sent in for trial as fodder crops ; Ankee grass 

 and 2 varieties of sugar l)eets. Many of these require no 

 especial notice, while most of the others can be sufficiently 

 discussed in a few words. 



The grasses include a consideral)lc number of species, 

 received through the kindness of Professor Fletcher of the 

 Ontario Agricultural College, which are as yet entirely un- 

 known to the general cultivator. Several among them are 

 indigenous to America, and appear to possess qualities which 

 fit them in an especial degree for our soil, climate and con- 

 ditions, and must make them of great value in our agricult- 

 ure. The seeds of all these grasses were sown last spring, 

 and it therefore follows that they have not yet had a trial 

 sufficiently long to warrant definite conclusions. Among 

 those species, however, which, so far as can be judged from 

 one season's growth, appear to be expressly promising, are 

 the following : Bromus schradeiiy Bromus ciliatus, Agro- 

 pyrum tenenwi and Avena Jiavescens vera. Seven indigenous 

 species from seed collected in Amherst and vicinity are 

 under trial, and two species were sent for trial by the 

 United States Department of Agriculture. One of these, 

 Eragrostis Neio Mexicana, appears promising ; the other, 

 Elensine Egyptiaca, gave one good cutting, but failed to 

 start thereafter. If an annual, as this behavior indicates, 

 it can hardly prove important. 



The Millets. — Among the 22 varieties included in this 

 trial are most of those cultivated as fodder crops, besides a 

 few others which were of especial interest. In this trial all 

 varieties were allowed to ripen seed. As it was, however, 

 found impossible to prevent the birds from taking some 

 of the seed, — a serious matter, where the quantities are 

 small, — it is not deemed important to publish the figures 

 showing yields. 



It has been decided, after the experience of two years in 

 cultivating these varieties both for fodder and for seed, that 

 there is no appreciable difference between the varieties sold by 

 various seeds7nen under the following names: White French, 

 Chinese y broom corn and California. This variety, as well 



