Millet can properly be classed as an emergency hay crop. After the 

 farmer is convinced that his hay crop is going to be short, he can sow 

 millet any time before the first of August and secure a large yield unless 

 the weather is extremely dry. 



Uses 



Millets are used for hay and grain. They make splendid soiling 

 crops, are useful for green manuring, and while young make a very good 

 pasture. They are not regarded especially good for silage for the reason 

 that the stems are apt to become mouldy in the silo. Millet is a carbo- 

 hydrate like corn, and to secure the full feeding value it should be fed 

 with hay or concentrates containing a large per cent of protein. One 

 hundred pounds of millet grains contain seven and one-tenth pounds 

 of crude protein, forty-eight and five-tenths pounds of carbohydrates, 

 and two and five-tenths pounds of fat. One hundred pounds of hay 

 without the grain contain nine-tenths pounds of crude protein, thirty- 

 four and three tenths pounds of carbohydrates and six-tenths pounds 

 o f fat. If the gi'ains are fed to animals other than poultry, they should 

 be ground, for the reason that they are apt to pass through the animal 

 undigested. If millet is fed with corn alone, the gain made is very 

 slight, but if balanced with alfalfa, clover, cotton-seed meal or some 

 other nitrogenous feed, splendid results are obtained. 



Hungarian millet is probably the best variety for hay. The stems 

 are more slender and the heads are smaller and the leaves very abun- 

 dant. The best time to cut for hay is just as the heads are forming. 

 Usually a crop can be cut within sixty or seventy days after the seeds 

 are sown. 



Seeding 



Millet should be sown on a well made seed-bed and lightly covered 

 with a harrow, sowing from two to three pecks to the acre. 



Harvesting 



On account of the green stems containing a great deal of moisture, 

 after the hay is begining to wilt, it should be teddered and before it 

 is sun-dried should be placed in a cylindrical windrow with a side- 

 delivery rake in order that it will be air-dried rather than sun-cured. 



RAPE 



A VARIETY of this plant known as Winter Rape is grown in the 

 southern states both for forage and seed. The spring variety is 

 grown very extensively in the north. 



