96 How THE FARM PAYS. 



all plants it luxuriates the best in hot weather, and may be grown on 

 fairly good to the richest soil, but, of course, with corresponding 

 results. Common millet differs from Hungarian grass only in the 

 form of the head or panicle, which is looser and more open than the 

 spike of Hungarian grass. The awns or beards of millet are softer 

 than those of Hungarian grass, and on this account the millet is 

 better liked by some farmers, who believe that Hungarian grass is 

 injurious to horses, and with, perhaps, some reason, on account of its 

 short, stiff, sharp awns. The amount of seed of either kind sown is 

 a peck to half a bushel per acre. Another important fodder plant, to 

 a limited extent, is Pearl Millet, which I tried several years ago; 

 but as you, Mr. Henderson, have got some notoriety by your experi- 

 ments with it at that time, and some blame too, I think if you have 

 no scruples in the matter it would be well to give such information 

 in regard to it as your experience enables you. 



(Mr. H.) Pearl Millet is now well known all over the country, especially 

 in the Southern States, where it goes by the common name of Cat Tail 

 Millet. In 1878 I determined to give it a thorough trial, and pre- 

 pared a piece of good ground, as if for a root crop, by manuring at 

 the rate of twelve or fifteen tons to the acre, plowing deeply and 

 harrowing. The seed was sown in drills twenty inches apart, 

 at the rate of four to five pounds to the acre. The seed was 

 sown about the middle of May. When the plants were up a 

 cultivator was run through the rows, and the growth became so 

 rapid that no further culture was necessary. The first cutting 

 was made forty-five days after sowing; it was seven feet high 

 and covered the whole ground. The crop, cut three inches 

 above the ground, weighed, as cut, at the rate of thirty tons per 

 acre; dried, six and one-half tons per acre of hay. The second 

 growth, cut forty- five days from the time of the first cutting, was nine 

 feet high, and weighed at the rate of fifty-five tons to the acre fresh, 

 equal to eight tons dried. The last growth started rapidly, but the 

 cool weather retarded it, so that the last cutting only weighed ten 

 tons green, and one and one-half tons dried. The total yield was as 

 follows: First cutting, in forty-five days, gave thirty tons green, or 

 six and one-half tons dry; second cutting, in forty-five days, gave 

 fifty-five tons green, or eight tons dry; third cutting, in forty-five 

 days, gave ten tons green, or one and one-half tons dry; in all being 

 ninety-five tons green fodder in 135 days, equal to sixteen tons of 

 hay. These results, published at the time, gave rise to some severe 

 criticism by persons who had failed to do as well with the crop as I 

 had done. But it should be remembered that the conditions under 

 which an experiment is made are essentially necessary to a successful 



