472 



MILLETS 



MILLETS 



evaporation ; if later it is plowed under, the under 

 soil is thus put in a more compact condition and 

 will not " dry out " easily. Summer fallow, or land 

 plowed late the previous fall is, of course, already 



Fig. 700, Proso. Two-thirds natural size. 



likely to be in excellent condition for millet and 

 needs only to be lightly disked and harrowed 

 before drilling. 



Seeding. — As a rule, millets should be sown with 

 a drill, particularly in the dry districts. When 

 grown in humid areas, where the condition of the 

 soil for resisting drought is not important, and 

 especially if the crop is to be pastured, broadcast- 

 ing may be better. A usual rate of seeding is two 

 to three pecks per acre for the foxtail and proso 

 millets, and one to two pecks for the barnyard 

 millets. In very dry areas the rate may be con- 

 siderably less. Millets are sown at about the same 

 time that corn is planted, but the period may be 

 extended to August 1. For soiling purposes, several 

 crops may be planted at different dates. 



Millet is one of the best crops for immediate 

 planting on new land or first " breaking." Unless 

 the sod is very stiff the crop can be sown soon 

 after the former is turned over. 



Harvesting. — This feature, of course, varies, 

 depending on the purpose for which the crop is to 

 be used. In this country the foxtail millets are 

 used exclusively for forage, and, therefore, should 



always be cut before the seed begins to ripen 



unless it is intended to sell the seed. For hay they 



should be cut even earlier, about the time most of 



the heads have appeared. The barnyard millets are 



also rarely used 



for the grain, and, 



for early hay or 



soiling, should be 



cut at about the 



blooming period. 



It is even more 



essential to cut 



the prosos in good 



time if intended '"''i^t^ 



for forage, as 



these millets are 



coarse and their 



forage, quality 



diminishes rapidly toward 



the time of maturity. 



Proso is largely used for 

 the grain, and this use is ap- 

 parently increasing. For such 

 purpose the seed should be 

 allowed to mature before cutting, 

 but care should be taken that the 

 crop does not stand until it is 

 over-ripe, as in such case there 

 will be much loss of seed by shat- 

 tering. One is likely to be de- 

 ceived in this matter if inexperi- 

 enced. The seed itself must be 

 examined. It may be ripe even 

 though the general appearance of 

 the crop would indicate that it is 

 yet green. 



In all cases of harvesting for 

 the seed, millet is best handled if 

 cut and bound with a self-binder. 

 The bundles should be placed two 

 by two in narrow shocks. Even 

 when intended for hay many of 

 the millets can be cut with the 

 binder in dry weather. Ordina- 

 rily, however, harvesting for for- 

 age is best done with the mower 

 or self-rake, leaving the millet to 

 cure dry in the swath or bunches, 

 after which it is cured in cocks 

 before stacking or housing. 



Uses and nutritive value. 



As before stated, the foxtail mil- 

 lets are generally used for forage 

 in this country. However, suffici- 

 ent attention is not being given, it 

 seems, to soiling and the produc- 

 tion of silage in the cultivation 

 of these crops. Experience so far 

 indicates that they are excellent 

 for these purposes. The chief care 

 to be taken is to feed sparingly Fig. 7oi. 



and in combination with other O"* o* ^^^ prosos, 

 foods because of the laxative ac- S.I* .fp„ J^!™ 

 tion of these crops, when green, miuaceum). 



