17 

 FOR PASTURAGE. 



Although an annual grass, and therefore one that must be 

 resown from year to year, Teff has been successfully used for 

 pasturage. The first case to come under my notice in South Africa, 

 was on a farm near Witbank, where Mr. L. Knapman grew -Teff 

 for pasturage for dairy cows ; this was illustrated in the Union 

 Agricultural Journal, Vol. V., Plate IX., 1913. The idea was 

 ridiculed by some farmers at the time, but there was more in it 

 than was then generally known. 



During the winter just passed (1916) the present writer has 

 found Teff stubble, and Teff aftermath most valuable for keeping 

 stock in condition, even though killed by frost and thoroughly dried 

 out; animals would leave the maize stalks to feed on the frosted 

 Teff as long as anything remained for them. The stubble has dis- 

 advantages as compared . with uncut growth, on account of its 

 prickly nature, but even that does not prevent their seeking it out. 



This suggests .a method of providing additional winter feed at 

 little expense, and in a system of rotation that will help to clean 

 the lands by summer-fallowing, without losing the advantage of a 

 season's crop. After the main maize crop and the silage crops are 

 planted, the ploughs can be set to work on fields which are to be 

 summer-fallowed ; this will turn under a lot of young weeds, which 

 will soon rot with the summer rains, and help to add humus to 

 the soil. As soon as a fresh crop of weeds is appearing on the 

 newly-turned soil, the disk-harrow should be applied ; this will 

 destroy a large percentage of the weed infestation. Instead of 

 harrowing down at once, with the tooth-harrow, a further crop of 

 weeds might be allowed just to start ; these could be harrowed off, 

 and Teff might be sown behind or before the harrow, according to 

 the nature of the soil. 



These several operations might last until the middle of 

 February. The resulting crop would, probably, in most localities 

 where the-'"^Htem could be adopted, be caught by the first frosct 

 but experience shows that it would still furnish admirable grazing 

 and would greatly assist in carrying the stock through the winter. 



Teff sown early in February might be allowed to seed and 

 " cuTe-onrthe-root." It would probably ripen some seed; this self- 

 sown seed would be ample to produce a very' fair crop of hay the 

 following season. Volunteer crops are not, as a rule, to be en- 

 couraged, but the voltinteer Teff-crop is usually worth cutting, even 

 though not to be depended upon for the main crop. 



TO CLEAN DIRTY LANDS. 



Teff is one of the best crops for cleaning dirty lands, provided 

 that care is taken to give the Teff-seedlings an equal chance with 

 the weed seedlings. The only weeds it seems unable to overcome 

 are Bermuda Quick-grass (Cynodon Dactylon) and Red-weed or 

 Is-ona (Striga lutea).' 



If Teff-seed is sown immediately behind the tooth-harrow or 

 anti-clog weeder, or if these implements are used to " harrow-in " 

 the broadcast Teff, the germinatine: weed-seedlings are killed — or at 

 .least checked— and the Teff seedlings have .an equal start; when 

 this is the case there is little or no feslr but that the T^ff ivill 

 smofher the weeds, provided it is sown fhicJdy. Some weeds, such 



