August, 1911.] 



119 



Edible Products. 



account of possible adulteration. The 

 demand for broom millet in this State 

 is limited ; and if its production is to be 

 extended and made profitable, it is 

 essential that the export trade be 

 encouraged in every possible way. The 

 local producer at the present time is 

 protected by a Federal duty of £4 per 

 ton. 



Fully 90 per cent, of the millet produced 

 in this State is grown on the rich 

 alluvial lands of the North Coast ; and 

 on several of these rivers — notably the 

 Hunter, Manning, and Richmond— the 

 industry may be looked upon as lucra- 

 tive and permaneut. Many farmers 

 have reported their success with this 

 crop, and would not think of reverting 

 to the far less remunerative occupation 

 of maize-growing. The raising of millet 

 need not be confined to these districts, 

 as, with the necessary care, and the aid 

 of a few home-made contrivances, any 

 land which produces twenty-five or more 

 bushels of maize to the acre will yield 

 profitable returns. On many of our 

 western slopes millet should also thrive, 

 particularly in those localities where 

 irrigation can be carried out. It is 

 advisable, before entering extensively 

 into the production of broom millet, to 

 ascertain from agents or manufacturers 

 the probable requirements of the trade, 

 with the view of obtaining an idea of 

 the price likely to be obtained during 

 tne season. At the same time, should 

 the prices fall after the crop is harvested, 

 the millet may, if properly cured and 

 baled, be stored for a considerable length 

 of time without injury, 



The following information may enable 

 beginners in broom millet growing to 

 avoid some common mistakes, and not 

 to neglect any of the importaut oper- 

 ations which are essential to success :— 



What Broom Millet is. 

 Andropogon sorghum vulgare is a non- 

 saccharine variety of sorghum. It is 

 an annual, somewhat similar in appear- 

 ance to maize while young ; but it has 

 thinner stems and narrower leaves, and, 

 instead of having male and female 

 flowers on separate parts of the plant, 

 they are both found together in the 

 brush at the top. The flowers are of 

 two kinds — perfect and imperfect. The 

 former are set directly upon the branch, 

 and are accompanied by some of the 

 latter, raised upon little stalks. The 

 fine stems of the panicle or brush are 

 the valuable portions ; the other parts 

 are incidental. The brush should be 

 composed of seed stems, uniform in size, 

 length, elasticity, and toughness, and of 

 a nice bright colour. The soil and 

 general methods of cultivation will 



largely affect the character and quality 

 of the product, even though good seed 

 be used. By long and careful culti- 

 vation and systematic selection certain 

 desirable qualities have been developed 

 and fixed, which remain ouly so long as 

 the conditions which broughc these 

 changes about are reasonably observed. 

 When a plant is grown for a particular 

 purpose it should be the cultivator's aim 

 to keep improving it in the direction 

 most profitable to him. This necessi- 

 tates a careful study of the plant and 

 its requirements, and the conditions 

 which make for its proper develop- 

 ment. In broom millet it is not desir- 

 able to obtain a heavy yield of seed, a 

 large development of stalk and leaf, or 

 a sap full of saccharine material, but a 

 special and unusual development of the 

 long, thin stems of which the brush is 

 composed. It makes very little differ- 

 ence whether a large plant is produced 

 or a heavy crop of seed is obtained, 

 provided these stems are long and fine. 



Class of Land Required. 

 The soil requirements of broom millet 

 are similar to those of maize. The best 

 results are obtained from the deep, rich; 

 well-drained alluvial lauds of our rivers. 

 It is, however, capable of adapting itselt 

 to a vaiiety of conditions, and, with 

 proper care and attention, sandy and 

 even gravelly soils if thoroughly 

 drained, will produce fair returns. Un- 

 drained lands make the working and 

 cultivation more difficult ; the growth is 

 generally slow and uneven, and there is 

 always the liability of the crop becom- 

 ing stunted and diseased. To ensure 

 evenness in ripening, a soil uniform in 

 character and fertility is essential. 



Place in the Rotation. 



In the general rotation on the farm 

 broom millet takes the same place as 

 maize. It is not advisable to adopt 

 the practice of growing it in the 

 same piece of land continuously, unless 

 suitable fertilisers are applied. It 

 has been found, however, in dry seasons 

 that it does not thrive as well on 

 land following millet as where the 

 previous crop was maize. The reason 

 for this appears to be that being more 

 drought-resistant, it continues to grow, 

 and thus exhaust the soil of its supplies 

 of moisture and plant-food when maize 

 would probably cease growing. At the 

 same time, as the brush is usually har- 

 vested soon after the flowers have set, 

 the crop can scarcely be classed as a 

 very exhaustive one, particularly if the 

 stalks are cut down immediately after- 

 wards. Where possible, it should follow 

 a leguminous or root crop. 



