24 



FOEAGE-CEOP EXPEEIMEXTS AT SA:S" AXTOXIO. 



Table XIX. — Xumber of days necessary to mature several varieties of millets grovm in 



1908 , with yield of hay . 



» 



S. P.I. 

 No. 



21533 

 21287 

 22:3-40 

 22425 

 21601 

 22423 

 22420 

 22426 

 22427 

 22424 

 21074 

 22422 



^Variety, 



Kutki (Panicum psilopodium) 



Shama {Panicum colonuvrf) 



German ( ChaetocMoa Ualica) 



....do 



Sanwa {Panicum frumentaceum) 



Common ( ChaetocMoa italica) 



Kursk ( ChaetocMoa italica) 



Hungarian ( ChaetocMoa italica ) 



Japanese ( Pa n icum fru mentace um) 



Siljerian ( ChaetocMoa italica) 



Broom-coni millet {Panicum miliaceum) 

 ....do 



Time to 

 malnire. 



Yield 

 per acre. 



Bays. 

 108 



Terns. 

 2 50 



76 



1.93 



52 



1 70 



52 



1 65 



122 



1 GO 



48 



1 57 



40 



1 56 



43 



1.50 



45 



1 34 



43 



1.25 



45 



.25 



1 40 



.25 



Pearl millet {Pennisetum a^mericanum) was grown in 1910 under 

 irrigation. It gave two cuttiags, totaling 10.3 tons per acre, but the 

 hay was of poor quality and the }deld less than that of Sumac sorghum 

 under like conditions. 



In ] 909 and 1910 tests were made, but the season was very unfavor- 

 able and practically no hay yields were obtained. 



On the whole, millets are not to be recommended for use in the 

 cropping system in the locality of San Antonio, since they are not 

 dependable as a crop T\ithout irrigation, and under irrigation certain 

 grasses are much more productive. 



GRASSES. 



Up to the present time no perennial grass except Johnson grass 

 has survived for any great length of time and given a satisfactory' 

 yield in the locahty of San xA^ntonio. There is need of a good grass, 

 especiaU}" by the irrigation farmer, owing to the fact that alfalfa, 

 clovers, etc., are attacked by root-rot and that none of the gi-ass 

 family are subject to this disease. Johnson grass is grown com- 

 mercially in a few cases, but on the whole it is rightfully considered 

 more of a pest than a profitable crop. Owing to the nature of its 

 rooting system it is capable of withstanding long periods of drought 

 without dying out, but its culture should be discouraged, as there are 

 much more profitable grasses without the objectionable features of 

 Johnson grass which can be grown in its place. 



Para grass {Panicum harhinode) has been tried, and although it 

 made a luxuriant growth under irrigation at the field station, when 

 it was tried without irrigation it made practically no growth and 

 completely died out during the season of 1909. The plat that was 

 irrigated proved somewhat difficult to handle on account of the 

 thick mass of roots which had formed during the two years the grass 

 was being tested. The ground on which it was grown was very 



[Cir. lOG] 



