


Richard Frotscher’s Almanac and Garden Manual 

cured, forming a fair fodder with rich grain combined. Cut in this 
the stalks not only cure more easily, but keep far better than any 
t 
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 ail 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. 
Tt is cultivated either by sowing broad-cast for hay or to be cut for 
green soiling, or in drills about three feet apart. Ifsown broad-cast, 
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. Ifsowed 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, butif to be cut repeated|y till frost 
for green soiling, it is better to sow quite thickly in the drills. An 
inch or an inch anda halfisthe 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 drils by chopping across the rows. One ortwo 
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 
3 s growth that the seed crop can soon be harvested and, as 
tated, a new crop from the seed be grown the same year. It 
own at any time in the far South from March to Augusi; it is 
red by aslight frost when young. The ieaves, if stripped 
S s, make as good fodder as those of Indian Corn, al- 
though they are notsolarge. 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, 
ter in blossom, is shown to be richer bot 
t forming principles than the clover, but not so rich in fiesh produ- 
eers. The following table will show their comparative values. 
(a) 
pa) 
3 
= mt 
« be ‘ 
ia’) @ fete 
Per wm CR 
fate 
cr 
not inj 
ompaered with Red Clo- 
ating properties and 
= oo 
a 
Bo 
bs 
@ 
Aa i. 


i ~~ > = > eae = -~ = 
= — pis OS a 
/ = ™m =~ — = Or 4 ss 
= me - - * =| = 
bes = 12 = —_—_—= <= aod = = 
= =, ec 
— sa = 2 = = 4 ~ é 
~ ~~] par a - oe | 
YY ~ = e — Ss = ~ = 
=_ JF — ac oO o sd 
or = =_ = ee « j 
= ~ _ ce U i — 
_ — — ~ 1 : == 
— — ; —— 
i Rm i ea 
' 
09 
cm wo 
9 | 
ve 
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 céreal, besides 


as 

