470 



MILLETS 



MILLETS 



The name Japanese has often been applied to a 

 form of foxtail millet that is usually considered 

 identical with the German. On careful study the 

 writer is forced to conclude that this is rather dis- 

 tinct and he has given it the name of Aino millet. 

 The name Japanese is very confusing, as it is 

 applied to various groups of millets. This variety is 



grown by 

 the Ainos, 

 a prehistoric 

 race of Japan. 

 The spikes are 

 longer and more 

 open in proportion 

 to thickness than in 

 the German millet. 

 It is not well known 

 in the United States, 

 but may prove to be 

 important. 



The Hungarian millet, 

 or Mohar, is a small- 

 headed millet, with large 

 seeds, which vary in color 

 from yellowish to purple- 

 brown. In typical Hunga- 

 rian millet there appears to 

 be a large percentage of 

 dark seed. The heads have 

 dark brown or purple beards. 

 This is the common foxtail 

 millet of central and south- 

 eastern Europe and is often 

 called there German millet, 

 but it is not theGerman millet 

 of this country. This variety 

 is very persistent after being 

 once seeded, and in careless 

 farming may become a weed. 

 It is fairly drought-resistant, 

 although as a result of many 

 trials it does not appear to 

 be so good in that respect as 

 the common millet. 



The Early Harvest millet is of 

 the common millet type. The 

 New Siberian and the Korean 

 millets are not yet sufficiently 

 studied, but may be distinct 

 varieties. 



Barnyard millets. (Fig. 699.) 



The barnyard millets are so 

 called because of their develop- 

 ment from the wild species,Pam- 

 cwm Crus-gallijWla.ich is known in 

 this country as barnyard grass, 

 and is common throughout the 

 country (Pig. 525). The native 

 grass is a coarse plant, with thick spreading stems 

 and broad leaves, but is exceedingly variable in all 

 characters. The heads vary in color from green 



to purple-brown, may possess strong beards or 

 none, and there is much variation in habit of 

 growth of the entire plant. These variations make 

 the development of different varieties a compara- 



Mg. 697, 

 One of the common 



foxtail millets, 

 grown from com- 

 mercial seed ( Ohce- 



tochloa Italica). 



tively easy 

 matter. 

 In the United 

 States the barn- 

 yard millets are used 

 exclusively for forage, 

 but in India the grain 

 is commonly used as food 

 for the people. In that 

 country the varieties of 

 two other closely allied 

 species, Panicum colonum 

 and Panicmn frumentaceum, 

 known as Shama and Samwa 

 millets, are extensively grown 

 for the grain, the latter species 

 being the more important. 



Proso millets. (Figs. 700, 701.) 



These millets grow one and 

 one-half to three and one-half feet 

 high, or about the height of other 

 millets, and bear a large open head 

 or panicle. The resemblance of this 

 panicle to that of broom-corn has 

 suggested the name broom -corn 

 millets. In Russia, where this 

 group of millets is given a promi- 

 nent place in agriculture and where 

 many distinct varieties have been 

 developed, they are known by the 

 collective name "proso," a good 

 name that should be used in this 

 country to distinguish this group 

 readily from other millets. Indeed, 

 this name is already fairly well 

 known, having come into use along 

 with the introduction recently of a 

 number of good varieties from 

 Russia. 



There are three fairly distinct 

 forms of the species Panicum mil- 

 iaeeum, based on differences in the 

 shape of the panicle, and, in accord- 

 ance with these, the cultivated va- 

 rieties of this group may be divided 

 into three sub-groups : (1) the pani- 

 cle prosos, having a very open, 

 erect panicle ; (2) the clump forms, 

 having a panicle shaped particularly like that 

 of broom-corn, and drooping ; and (3) the com- 

 pact prosos, having the panicle compacted almost 



Fig. 698. 

 Hungarian millet. 



Nearly one-tliird 

 natural size. 



