SUDAN GRASS 



159 



It is adapted to much warmer climates than Kentucky blue- 

 grass, and extends into the tropics. 



Millets. There are several types of millet. Common Hun- 

 garian and German millets all belong to the type known 

 as foxtail millet. In these the head is 

 a compact spike, more or less erect. 

 Barnyard grass or foxtail is often called 

 barnyard millet. The head is an open 

 panicle. Broom corn millet or hog millet 

 has been recently introduced from Russia. 

 It has broad hairy leaves and is grown 

 more for seed than for forage. Pearl millet 

 might well be classed with the coarse fod- 

 ders, as it grows from six to ten feet high. 

 The head is a compact, erect spike. Because 

 of its likeness to the wild cat-tail of the 

 swamps it is sometimes called cat-tail millet. 



All the millets are annuals (Fig. 106). 

 The common variety of foxtail millet has 

 nodding heads about six inches long. These 

 turn yellowish brown when ripe. It ma- 

 tures earlier than the other millets and is 

 more popular for this reason. The plant 

 is very leafy and produces large yields of 

 hay. It is sometimes thrashed for the 

 seed, which is used for poultry and birds. 

 The hay from millets is coarse and fibrous 

 and not so nutritious as hay from other 

 grasses. When used for horses it must be 

 fed cautiously or mixed with other hay in 

 the day's ration. If fed alone it may act 

 injuriously upon the kidneys of horses. 



Millets are hot weather crops and should 

 not be seeded before late spring or early 

 summer. They are often used as summer 

 catch crops, and for this purpose should 

 be mixed with cow peas or other small J5 1 

 legumes. Farm Crops.) 



Sudan grass (Fig. 107) is closely related to the millets and 

 its feeding value is about the same. It is similar in growth to 

 Johnson grass except that it has no underground rootstalks and 



FIG. 106. Common millet 



