as 



though Teff is an excellciii cleaning crop, it is not desirable to add 

 more weed seeds to be buried and lie dormant in th^ soil — perhaps 

 for several years., Mest-brede seeds are small, black, shining, 

 rounded bodies, not easily removed from the Teff seed ; but a very 

 fine sieve will do it. 



Other impurities, such as Teff chaff, soil particles, .etc;., should 

 not be present in a weli-cleaned sample. 



Colour was at one time given great consideratio^ in judging 

 Teff seed, but we find that the darkest seed is not always the 

 heaviest. But with red Teff (the only variety so far introduced 

 into commerce in South Africa), the presence of white seeds is 

 considered undesirable, as indicating immaturity. 



' COST OF SEED. 



During the three years, 1904 to 1907, while the demand exceeded 

 the supply, Teff seed sold at prices ranging from 5s. per lb., down 

 to 9d. With increased production prices fell to 7d., 6d., 5d., 4d., 

 2id., and finally 2d, per lb.,, at which price, tons of seed can be 

 bought to-day. In the year 1912, one farmer, alone, produced 30 

 tons, which he sold at 4d. per lb. in 100 lb. lots, or 5d. per lb. retail. 

 Many farmers have done quite well from the sale of Teff seed. 



TEFF SILAGE. 



It is usually considered that the finer grasses, such as the 

 English meadow grasses, and Teff, do not make good silage. It 

 is also recognised by successful stock-feeders, that good hay is 

 superior, to silage, however good the latter may be, so that it is 

 considered wasteful to ensile grass as long as ii can easily and 

 quickly be made into hay. 



But in regions of torrential summer rainfall, it is sometimes 

 difficult to make good hay, and the possibility of ensiling a crop 

 leaves the farmer a loophole in a wet season. The present writer 

 has never tried, to make Teff silage, but is informed by Mr. 

 Nicholson, of Arnold's Hill; Natal, that he has been very success- 

 ful in making it, and that his stock eat is greedily. 



FOR GREEN-MANURING. 



The deficiency of humus in many of our South African soils 

 makes it imperative that we should evolve an inexpensive and 

 efficient system of green-manuring. For this purpose a leguminos^ 

 crop is, of course, preferred, because it adds nitrogen as well as 

 decomposing vegetable matter. But we have not yet met with 

 the ideal legume for this purpose, and in the meantime Teff has 

 been found a useful and economical substitute. 



Among the first Transvaal farmers to try Teff tor.this purpose,, 

 were Messrs. Reynolds Bros., of Zandbaken, Val. 



Two methods, of treatment have been tried with success, viz. : 

 (I) To sow after the. main maize crop has been planted, and to 

 plough-under during summer ; (2) to sow in spring, either before 

 or after the maize crop is planted, cut a cron of hay, allow the 

 aftermath to grow, and plough-under before the ground dries aiit 

 in autumn. Other methods may suggest themselves as the prin- 

 ciple, of green-manuring is more widely adopted.' 



