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it throws out succors fram other joints, and makes smaller heads. 

 This is expedited by going over it and culling out as fast as it 

 ripens. Stock of all kinds are fond of it, and will greedily eat it. 

 It is almost equal to Indian corn for fattening food for hogs. 



The ground is plowed as well as possible, and then thrown into 

 low ridges, or even better, no ridges at all ; the seeds are then 

 drilled three feet apart, with a seed drill. If sown by hand, the 

 rows are made with a bull-tongue plow and covered with a harrow. 

 A peck of seeds is enough for an acre, unless they are weevil eaten, 

 when more should be used. They should be covered very lightly, 

 not more than an inch and a half deep. When they come up they 

 should be thinned out by chopping across the row, leaving the 

 plants eighteen inches apart, then one or two good plowings are all 

 the crop requires. There need be no fear of weeds or grass after 

 it once starts out to grow, as its enormous foliage, and thickly 

 clustering suckers choke out everything else on the ground. It 

 grows very rapidly, and will soon be ready for harvesting. There 

 are various ways for doing this, according to the fancy of the far- 

 mer. Some cut off the seed heads as they ripen, and turn stock on 

 the stalks, which will eat them up quite clean. Others will cut 

 the stalks just before frost, scouring them and feeding them as hay 

 through the winter ; and these stalks will keep better than any 

 other of the pithy grasses, not securing like Indian corn or sugar 

 cane. Still others wait until the largest quantity of seeds is ripe^ 

 and then cut, and house seeds, stalks and all together. If the fod- 

 der is pulled it makes excellent feed, in fact every part of the 

 plant makes good feed for some animals. Care should be exercised 

 to protect it from fowls, as they are so fond of the seeds that, fre- 

 quently, whole fields are stripped. 



It is often planted in the missing places of corn, and it does far 

 better than a replant of corn, as one stalk will throw out numerous 

 suckers, making several large heads and ripening with the corn. 

 Drought has but little effect in retarding its growth. It retains its 

 dark green color and luxuriant foliage when other plants are shriv- 

 eled up by the heat. 



In the South it is sown thickly in drills, and cut for soiling 

 stock, and if not allowed to flower, it will bear cutting until frost 

 comes. Many sow it broadcast for hay. Prepare the ground well, 

 and sow one bushel of seed to the acre, harrowing it in. It makes 



