MILLET. 193 



arises from the short period required to enable the 

 crop to perfect its growth. Some of the smaller 

 varieties will mature in sixty to seventy-five days 

 from the date of sowing, under favorable conditions. 

 These conditions include a good soil, warm 

 weather and a sufficiency of moisture. In some 

 portions of Canada, as Manitoba and Assiniboia, for 

 instance, these varieties do not require a much 

 longer period to mature their growth than in states 

 far to the south. This is owing to the heat and to 

 the long hours of sunlight which characterize the 

 summer days in these northerly climes. But, since 

 some of the large varieties, as Pearl millet, for 

 instance, require about 150 days to mature seed, 

 these are not well adapted to being grown in the 

 northern states to provide winter fodder. Some of 

 the Japanese varieties, however, will perfect their 

 growth in the inland portions of the continent as 

 far north, at least, as the latitude of St. Paul. Since 

 millet cannot flourish where the mean summer tem- 

 peratures are low, it is somewhat lacking in adapta- 

 tion to the maritime provinces of Canada, as New 

 Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. 

 Nor has it special adaptation for the New England 

 states, although good crops of millet may be grown 

 in these. The mean summer temperatures of 

 Oregon, Washington and British Columbia between 

 the mountains and the sea are also rather low for 

 millet, and the same is true of the elevated Rocky 

 mountain valleys. In the lower of these, however, 

 it will flourish if given moisture. In what is 

 termed the dry belt w^est of the Mississippi river, in 

 some seasons millet may fail because of the lack of 

 moisture at the proper season for sowing the seed. 

 13 



