30 



forage. On good soil, if the ground be moist, it will bo ready for mowing in sixty 

 days from seeding, and produce from 2 to 4 tons of hay per acre. It is folly to sow 

 it on poor land. 



(Plate 19.) 

 Setaria glauca and Setaria viridis. 



These two kinds, called pigeon grass, are very common in cultivated 

 fields, especially among stubble after the cutting of grain. They are as 

 nutritious as Hungarian grass but not so productive. (Plate 20.) 



PENNISETUM. 



The flowers in this genus are arranged in close spikes ranch like those of Setaria, 

 but the bristles at the base of the spikelets fall off with the spikelets, instead of re- 

 maining attached to the rhachis. 

 Permisetum spicatum (Penicillariaspicata) (Pearl Millet; Cat-tail Millet; Egyptian 



Millet). 



This is supposed to be a native of Africa, but has been known from 

 time immemorial in cultivation in India, Arabia, and Egypt. 



It is an annual grass of luxuriant growth, frequently reaching G or 

 8 fret in height, with long, broad leaves, and a stout, solid culm ter- 

 minated with a thick, erect spike, ti to 10 inches long, and three-quarters 

 of an inch in thickness, having a resemblance to the heads or spikes 

 of the common cat-tail (Typlia, latifolia}. The stalks are freely pro- 

 ductive of suckers which furnish a large amount of succulent, sweet 

 leaves. 



Professor Pbares states: 



It has been grown to some extent for twenty-five years in many parts of the 

 Southern States, more largely since 1865. 



No crop will pay better or yield more forage than this on very rich, highly fertili/ed 

 laud. On such land it has been cut on an average every forty-five days, from the 

 time of planting till frost, with a reported product of 80 or 100 tons of green forage, 

 or from 16 to 20 tons of dry hay. When it grows luxuriantly it is impossible to cure 

 it for hay on the ground upon which it is grown ; so that it would be impracticable 

 to make hay of a large field of it sown solid. Hence it must be sown in small patches 

 or in beds, with spaces between upon which to spread it when cut This difficulty 

 would occur only on rich and highly manured land. Any one can have the crop as 

 light as he chooses by sowing on poorly prepared or on exhausted land. 



It is best adapted for cultivation in the South, where it will ripen 

 seeds, but in a favorable season it may produce a large amount of for- 

 age in the Northern States. 



TRIPSACUM, 

 Tripsacum dactyloides (Garna Grass). 



A tall, stout, perennial grass, growing sparingly at the North, more 

 common southward and in the Western States. The flowers are in 

 spikes, generally from one to three at the top of the culm or from side 

 shoots. The spikes are 2 to 4 inches long, the male flowers by them- 

 selves on the upper part, and the female flowers on the lower part. 

 The lower flowers mature seeds in short joints, which break apart at 



