CORRESPONDENCE. 



Ill 



years old, between my garden and front lot, and the 

 most public street in this county, through which 

 thousands of mules and wild Missouri steers, hogs, 

 eheep, &c., are driven every year, and all the stock of 

 this village, of all sorts, runs at large. (And Phara- 

 ou of old knew what a starved cow was.) In this 

 hedge is a small wicker gate, opening into the street, 

 with an Osage crab over it to prevent climbing. 

 AVheu necessary this gate is kept locked. In this 

 lot, which is within the corporation limits, and con- 

 tains some four acres, we have had through the sea- 

 son the greatest abundance of strawberries, gooseber- 

 ries, currants, peaches, pears of the finest varieties, 

 grapes, raspberries, plums, cherries, blackberries, mel- 

 ons, &c., and if any person has been inside of the 

 lot without leave, it is certain they did not get over 

 the hedge; or if any boy has taken a plum or berry 

 we do not know it 



The accompanying cut is a representation of the 

 hedge fence on Sugar Grove Farm owned by Mr. 

 James McGrew, near Dayton, Ohio. 



MHiBT AND ITS CULITJEE. 



Me. Editor: — Of the millet there are three dis- 

 tinct genera: the Polish millet, the Indian millet, 

 and the common millet. 



Of the common millet there are three species: the 

 German, the common or cultivated, and the Italian. 



The German millet grows with a read-like stalk, 

 from two and a-half to three feet high, with a leaf at 

 each joint about one and a-half feet long, and about 

 one inch broad at the base, ending in a sharp point, 

 rough to the touch, surrounding the stalk at the base, 

 and turning down about half the length. The stalks 

 terminate by compact spikes about three-fourths of 

 an inch in diameter at the bottom, tapering to the 

 top, six or eight inchs long, and closely set with 

 small roundish grain. It is an annual, and soon per- 

 ishes after it has ripened its seeds. Of this kind of 

 millet there are three varieties, the white, yellow, 

 sad purple grained. 



The Italian millet rises also with a reed-like stalk 

 four feet high; the stalk is thicker and the leaf 

 broader than the preceding; the spikes are from eight 

 to twelve inches in length; they are not compact but 

 are composed of several roundish clustered spikes. 

 There are also two or three varieties of thii, distin- 

 tinguished only by the color of the seeds. 



The above described species of the common mil- 

 let being the only kinds cultivated in this section, I 

 shall omit giving a description of the other kinds, 

 and proceed at once to give my readers the benefit 

 of my practical knowledge in reference to its culture. 



In consequence of my meadows being destroyed 

 ■ yb the severity of the winter of 1854, I was of neces- 



sity compelled to substitute something for the hay crop, 

 and finally decided upon millet. I found it very dif- 

 ficult to procure seed, but much more difficult to pro- 

 cure reliable information with regard to its culture; 

 consequently, my first year's experience was in reality 

 a year of experiment. 



The field upon which I sowed my millet was a wheat 

 stubble. The soil sandy loam, the higher portions of 

 the field being quite sandy, and in a medium state of 

 cultivation; the surface undulating. During the lat- 

 ter part of May it was plowed ten inches deep, with 

 a Polly plow, No 2, which is one of the best stub- 

 ble plows in use. The first week in June the ground 

 was harrowed twice, lengthwise of the furrow, with a 

 heavy double scratch harrow. The millet seed was 

 sown immediately, at the rate of 12 quarts per acre, 

 and followed with a light seed harrow and roller. I 

 commenced cutting my millet the middle of August 

 with a common grain cradle; let it lie in the swath 

 one to two days, according to the temperature of the 

 weather; bound in sheaves and shocked up the same 

 as wheat. Judging from the number and size of 

 the loads, the yield was two tons per acre. Had 

 the season been favorable the produce would have 

 been one-third more. 



From my limited experience I have come to the 

 conclusion that millet is peculiarly adapted to light, 

 warm soils, but will grow on almost any soil which is 

 not too wet-; that the soil should be plowed deep 

 and well pulverized; that the time to sow the seed, 

 if intended for hay, is any time during the month of 

 June — if intended to ripen, the last week in May; that 

 the quantity of seed if intended for hay should vary 

 from IC to 20 quarts — very rich soils requiring most 

 seed to prevent the stalks from growing too rank — 

 but, if intended to ripen, 8 to 10 quarts per acre will be 

 quite sufficient; that the proper time to harvest, if 

 for hay, is when the grain is just filled and the top of 

 the head or spike is beginning to turn yellow, but if 

 intended for seed it should fully ripen; that the best 

 mode of harvesting is to cut with the cradle or 

 reaper and bind into sheaves when sufficiently dry; 

 and that the yield per acre on good soils well culti- 

 vated, will be from 3 to 4 tons of hay or 30 to 40 

 bushels of seed. It leaves the soil in a loose, friable 

 stale, consequently grass and clover seeds do well 

 when sown with it. 



As to its nutritious qualities, it is a regular pana- 

 cea for the craving of all hungry stomachs, whether 

 of biped or quadruped- Horses will work hard and 

 keep in fine condition by being fed on green millet, 

 finely cut with a straw-cutter and mixed with four 



