138 Richard Frotscher’s Almanac and Garden Manual 
cured, forming a fair fodder with rich grain combined. Cut in this 
way the stalks not only cure more easily, but keep far better than any 
other of the family of pithy grasses. It will not become sour like In- 
dian Corn. The most economical and practical way of curing it, is, as 
it will thus appear, to cut and house stalks and seed all together when 
the larger quantity of seed has ripened. All kinds of stock are fond 
of both the fodder and grain, and cattle especially eat it with great 
avidity. : 
It is cultivated either by sowing broad-cast for hay, orto iS Bia for 
green soiling, or in drills about three feet apart. If sown broad-east, 
one bushel of seed to the acre, harrowed in, is sufficient. The yield - 
of green stuff and cured hay is simply enormous; its growth is rapid 
and continuous till frost; so that there is no fear of losing it-from be- 
coming over-ripe. If sowed in drills one peck of seed per acre is am- 
ple. Of course, except on very rich land, the seed-heads will be lar- 
ger and finer if not sown too thickly. For grain the stalks should not 
be nearer than 12 inches in the drill, but if to be cut repeatedly till frost 
for green soiling, it is better to sow quite thickly in the drills. An 
inch or an inch and a half is the proper depth for covering the seed. 
Of course the ground should be well ploughed and harrowed before 
sowing. When the plants are well up they should be thinned to the 
proper distance in the drills by chopping across the rows. One or two 
good ploughings is all the cultivation needed. Once well started no 
fear need be entertained that weeds or grass can make headway— 
they will be speedily choked out by the dense growth of foliage. So 
rapid is its growth that the seed crop can soon be harvested, and, as 
before stated, a new crop from the seed be grown the same year: It 
can be sown at any time in the far South from March to August; it is 
not injured by a slight frost when young. The leaves, if stripped 
from the stalks, make as good fodder as those of Indian Corn, al- 
though they are not as large. If both fodder and grain are gathered, 
and stock turned in to feed on the stalks, and the remnants then 
ploughed in, it will be found that the lands will lose very little by the 
operation. Itis astonishing how quickly cattle will grow fat on these 
bare succulent stalks. 
The green fodder, by actual analysis, as compared with Red Clover 
in blossom, is shown to be richer both in heating properties and fat 
forming principles than the clover, but not so rich in flesh. producers. 
The sowine table will show their comparative values. 
: 
ae ; Ta Ol = 1 o eq ee 
|S (Bel 2 |Seleelsez| s 
| {Sef pes peel Sec 
ee tes SS | = Se beg hat he 
Ferrers Reais Sa eae 
: gee PONS eeayl B| 8 jase dapetees 
Diourot ss, at ee. ok) TB aia S14 | 29 [41.9)| oF \ee 
Red Clover in blossom........ | 78.0 | 20.3) L7 | 3.7 | 8.6 | 8.0 | 0.8 
As Dhouro will yield more grain, fodder and stalks on a greater 
variety of lands, with less labor, in one season, and will leave more 
rough litter to be turned into the soil than any other cereal, besides 
