THE MILLETS 121 



are also objectionable. If the hay is cut over-ripe 

 these bristles are apt to injure the mouths of stock. 

 Cases have also been reported in which the bristles 

 have formed hair balls in cows' stomachs, causing in- 

 flammation and resulting fatally. 



We have already called attention to the impossibil- 

 ity, in actual practice, of cutting hay at just the right 

 season ; if delay in harvesting results in the develop- 

 ment of decidedly objectionable characters in a hay 

 plant, such characters are certain to limit the useful- 

 ness of the crop, for it will occasionally be necessary 

 to cut over- ripe hay. The variation in coarseness, due 

 to difference in thickness of the stand, is also a matter 

 of some importance. Timothy, even when the stand 

 is thin, does not grow much coarser stems than when 

 the stand is normal. Millet, on the other hand, grows 

 very large, coarse stems when for any reason a poor 

 stand is secured. Even when plenty of seed is used 

 the stand may be poor because of unfavorable soil con- 

 ditions at seeding-tiine. This lack of uniformity in 

 the character of growth of millet prejudices many 

 against it. 



The fact that millet is an annual may be either an 

 advantage or a disadvantage, according to circum- 

 stances. It is probably true that millet would occupy 

 a much more important place in our agriculture if it 

 were perennial. The American farmer likes a grass 

 that can be kept in a meadow for several years with no 

 attention except to cut it for hay. At the same time, 

 a productive, short-season annual is exceedingly use- 

 ful for sowing when other crops fail ; it is for this lat- 

 ter purpose that millet is most largely used. In some 



