22 



mendation of Mr. Turner, who was at one time a very successful 

 TefC-grower near Springs. Mr. Wen^worth Sykes, writing in 

 1911, recommended four pounds ; " I used to advocate three 

 pounds, he says (19), but found four pounds gave a finer texture 

 to the grass and in consequence it commands a higher market 

 value." 



As the Teff-plant stools out freely, it is probable that a thin 

 sowing will in time give as heavy a crop as a thicker seeding, 

 but it will take longer time to thicken up than if sown more 

 thickly, and thus give light, air and space for weeds to spring 

 up. Therefore if sown on foul lands, the seed should be sown 

 thickly — ^ten pounds per acre has been found satisfactory for this 

 purpose. 



TIME 01" SOWING. 



Teff seedlings are as fine as those of the finest lawn-grass 

 and are sensitive to excessive heat and drought until estab- 

 lished. In choosing the time for sowing, therefore, it is well 

 to avoid those months when long dry spells may be expected ; 

 of course, these periods vary according to che locality, and cannot 

 be specified here. A period when a rainstorm is gathering is 

 a good time to sow. In Pretoria it was found that the period 

 from the middle to the end of October was the best for the first 

 sowing, and the early part of January for the second. It is 

 also a good plan to arrange the sowing so that the crop will 

 not be ready for cutting during the normal period of heaviest 

 rains ; over much of the Transval this is from the middle of 

 January to the end of February ; as the summer growth of Teff 

 takes about two months, it is usually undesirable (with us) 

 to sow between the middle of November and the end of Decem- 

 ber. In seasons when the rains are erratic, one sows Teff when 

 there is enough moisture to bring it up, taking chances on a dry 

 spell, for after all, the seed is cheap and quickly sown, and growth , 

 is so rapid that there is ample time for resown crops to reach 

 maturity. 



Mr. W. M. Struben sows in January, and cuts in April, " when 

 the weather is good " (23). . . . We sowed the 63 acres of Teff 

 from January 11th to 17th inclusive ; commenced to mow on April 

 13th (1916) ; and we finished our stacks by May 10th (24). 



Mr. W. Gillespie sows usually in the latter end of November 

 and during December. " This allows of reaping in March, early, 

 and ahead of frost. Early sowing has the disadvantage of light 

 rains at the start of the season, sometimes, which results in 

 uneven germination, which is bad for seed growing. (23.) If 

 sowing be done in end of Novembei- or early December the 

 likelihood of getting suitable weather for the curing of the hay 

 is fairly reliable. Should earlier sowing be preferred, or more 

 convenient, the first cut might be put into an ensilage stack, 

 while the second could be cut for hay." 



Mr. J. Wentworth Sykes, Natal Spruit, sows from the 

 beginning of October until the end of January (23). 



At Vereeniging, the writer sows usually from October to the 

 early part of February, according to season and general condition 

 of the farm work. 



EAPIDITY OF GROWTH. 



One of the great advantages of Teff (the Tseddia variety) 



