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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 havesting. There are various ways 

 for doing this, according to the fancy of the farmer. 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, stacking them and feeding 

 them as hay through the winter ; and these stalks will keep 

 better than any other of the pithy grasses, not scouring 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 fodder is pulled it 

 makes excellent feed, in fact every part of the plant makes 

 good feed for some animals. Care should be exercise to 

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

 frequently, 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 ripen- 

 ing with the corn. Drought has but little effect in retard- 

 ing its growth. It retains its dark green color and luxuri- 

 ant foliage when other plants are shriveled up by the heat. 



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

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

 until frost comes. Many sow it broadcast for hay. Pre- 

 pare the ground well and sow one bushel of seed to the acre, 

 harrowing it in. It makes an enormous yield of hay, but, 

 from the succulent character of the stalks, it is difficult to 

 cure, unless a good "spell" can be caught. However, if 

 the farmer has a drove of mules or steers to fatten, he can 

 cut a load or two at a time, throwing it into a rack, which 

 can be replenished as required, and the hay will remain 

 green on the ground until frost, so that there is no danger 

 of its being lost by becoming too ripe. 



In Germany the seeds are deprived of the chaff and used 



