AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
420 
[November, 
“Pampas Rice.”—Drooping Sorghum, 
Seeds of a grain under the name of “ Pampas 
Rice" have beeu offered for the last two years in 
such papers as would admit the advertisement. 
Small towns in Tennessee were headquarters for 
Durra Corn (Sorghum vulgare), offered as “Ivory 
Wheat,” and by other tempting names, while “Pam- 
pasRice ” had a town in Michigan forits “head cen¬ 
ter,” where this remarkable grain rested on its way 
from the Pampas of South America to take a fresh 
start among the farmers of North America. Judg¬ 
ing from the description and very poor engraving- 
accompanying the announcement of “Pampas 
Rice,” we supposed it might be a variety of Sor¬ 
ghum vulgare or “Durra Corn,” and in an article 
on that grain in February, 1877, we stated that such 
was our opinion, though we had not seen 
the plaut, or a flower-cluster—uothiug but 
the grain. Mr. J. F. Hilgard, of Mount 
Holly, N. J., tested this “Pampas Rice” 
on the soil of New Jersey, and supplied us 
with abundant specimens in all stages of 
development. An examination shows this 
“Rice” to be the “Drooping Sorghum,” 
Sorghum ternuum, which differs from the 
common Sorghum, S. vulgare, in two not 
very important respects : the top of the 
6 talk, as the flower-cluster develops, bends 
over in a regular curve, in such a manner 
as to invert the cluster and make its top 
point directly downwards, as shown in the 
engraving. This curving is not due to the 
weight of the head, or cluster, as it occurs 
long before the grain begins to fill—even 
while the plant is in flower. The other 
difference from the Common Sorghum, is 
in the length of the stalk to the male flow¬ 
er. Neither of these points is of sufficient 
importance to make a species upon, and 
we have little doubt that they are forms of 
the same. Indeed, Trinius, some 50 years 
ago, though he described these and the 
Sugar Sorghum as distinct species (Trinius, 
'‘Andropogineorum Genera et Species"), says 
that they appear to be all forms of one. 
The stalk in “Drooping Sorghum ” grows 
about seven feet high, and as it has 
abundant foliage of a grayish green color, 
a field of it presents a striking appearance. 
With the exception of its inverted posi¬ 
tion, the cluster in flower, and when ripe, 
is like that of Durra, and the grain appears 
to be identical. With the other Sorghums, 
this appears to be known only in the cul¬ 
tivated state ; as they all contribute largely 
to the support of the native population of 
the East ludies and Africa, they probably 
originated in one or the other of those 
countries. As stated on a former occasion, 
we have no objection to the cultivation 
of this grain or the sale of its seeds, but 
we most earnestly protest against selling 
it under a false name, indeed doubly false, 
as the plant is not, as has been asserted, 
a native of the plains of South America, nor is it 
a “ Rice,” or anything like a rice, and to sell it as 
such is to obtain money under false pretences. The 
correspondent to whom we are indebted for the 
specimens asks, “ What is ‘ Guinea Corn ? ’ 1 have 
wondered whether this could be the same under 
another name. * * * That was introduced here 
60 or 70 years ago.”—According to Darlington, the 
“Guinea Corn” was precisely this “Drooping Sor¬ 
ghum,” and not the erect kind. As to whether 
there is any place in our agriculture for any Sor¬ 
ghum as a grain crop, we much doubt. The clus¬ 
ters, with their great numbers of small grains, have 
the appearance of being very productive, but we 
doubt if a given area of this would yield as great a 
weight of grain as the same in Indian Corn. There 
is little probability that the grain of Sorghum will 
ever come into use with us as an article of food, 
save as a rarity or curiosity. Like rice, it can be 
prepared for eating without grinding—hence is 
suited to semi-civilized or barbarous nations. The 
whole grain is boiled or roasted, and by some tribes 
eaten raw. We are unable to find an analysis of 
the grain, but feel sure, from its appearance, that 
it contains a much smaller amount of nutritive 
principles than wheat or others of our food grain. 
Indeed the fact that it has not obtained a foothold 
either in Europe or in this country, though fre¬ 
quently introduced, shows the popular estimate of 
its value. It was tried in Europe as early as 1596, 
and has since been introduced on several occasions, 
as it has been in this country. The late attempts 
to popularize these grains under such false names 
as “Pampas Rice” and “Ivory Wheat,” are not 
likely to succeed now any better than they did as 
“Guinea Com” and “Indian Millet” with our 
grandfathers. However valuable they may be to 
the native negro tribes of Africa, these grains will 
scarcely be sought after as food in a country where 
! wheat and Indian Corn are so abundant as with us. 
What may be said in their favor as forage crops, 
will be found in our article in February, 1S77. 
Renovate tlie Fowl Houses.—I. K. Felch 
writes: This month should not pass, without the 
fowl houses being thoroughly white-washed, and 
the nests made clean and free from lice. The floor 
should be covered with three or four inches of 
gravelly loam, that the sun may dry it before cold 
weather sets in. If the windows are not so ar¬ 
ranged that the sunlight may fall directly on the 
floor, have them changed so that it will; for this 
sunlight and dry earth will enable you to winter 
fifty per cent more fowls in the same quarters—by 
reason of their agency in deodorizing the drop¬ 
pings—than can be kept on a bare floor, or upon the 
ground, for, in the latter case, the earth will be¬ 
come damp and filthy. Have the flock in winter 
quarters before the hunter’s moon, and begin the 
feed of meat as soon as frosts cut off the insect sup¬ 
ply, also providing green food, as chopped roots, etc. 
An Experiment with Pearl Millet. 
BY PETER HENDERSON. 
Pearl Millet has been cultivated for some years, 
as a forage plant in some of the Southern States, 
as “African Cane,” “ Egyptian Millet,” “Japan Mil¬ 
let,” and in some places as “Horse Millet,” but 
, little was known of it at the North before last year,, 
and then only in such small quantities as to hardly 
allow of a fair trial. From what we saw of it in 
1877, we determined to give it a thorough trial this 
season. A piece of good strong loamy ground was 
prepared as if for a beet or turnip crop, by manur¬ 
ing with stable-manure at the rate of 10 tons to the- 
acre, plowing 10 inches deep, and thoroughly har¬ 
rowing. The Millet was then sown in drills 18 
inches apart, at the rate of 8 quarts to the acre. We 
sowed on the 15th of May, about the date 
that we plant corn ; in 12 days the plants 
were up so that a cultivator could be run 
between the rows, after which no further 
culture was necessary, for the growth 
became so rapid and luxuriant as to crow-d 
down every weed that attempted to get a 
foothold. The first cutting was made July 
1st—45 days after sowing; it was then 7 
feet high, covering the whole ground, and 
the crop, cut 3 inches above the ground, 
weighed, green, at the rate of 30 tons per 
acre; this, when dried, gave 61 tons per 
acre as hay. After cutting, a second 
growth started, and was cut August 15th— 
45 days from time of the first cutting—its. 
flight was 9 feet; it weighed this time at. 
the rate of 55 tons to the acre, green, and 
8 tons dried. The third crop started as 
rapidly as the second, but the cool Sep¬ 
tember nights lessened its tropical luxuri¬ 
ance, so that this crop, which was cut on 
October 1st, only weighed 10 tons green, 
and 11 tons dried. The growth was simply 
enormous, thus : 1st crop in 45 clays, gave 
30 tons green, or 61 tons dry. 2d crop in 
45 days, gave 55 tons green, or 8 tons dry. 
3d crop in 45 days, gave 10 tons green, or 
11 tons dry. The aggregate weight being 
95 tons of green fodder in 135 days from 
date of sowing, and 16 tons when dried to 
hay. This exceeds the clover meadows of 
Mid-Lothian, which, when irrigated by the 
sewerage from the City of Edinburgh, and 
cut every four weeks, gave an aggregate 
of 75 tons of green clover per acre. There 
is little doubt that Pearl Millet is equal¬ 
ly as nutritious as corn-fodder, which 
it resembles even more than it does any 
of the other Millets. We found that all 
our horses and cattle ate it greedily, 
whether green or dry. If sowing in drills 
is not practicable, it may be sown broad¬ 
cast, usiug double the quantity of seed 
—say 16 quarts per acre. The ground 
should be smoothed by the harrow, 
and again lightly harrowed after sow¬ 
ing ; if rolled after harrowing, all the 
better. I know of no farm crop that will bet¬ 
ter repay high manuring, but so great is its luxuri¬ 
ance that it will produce a better crop without ma¬ 
nure than any other plaut I know of. In those 
parts of the Southern States where hay can n ot be 
raised, this is a substitute of the easiest culture, 
and being of tropical origin, it will luxuriate in 
their long hot summers ; even though our Northern 
seasons may be too short to mature the seeds, our 
experiments in New Jersey this summer show what 
abundant crops may be expected if the similar con¬ 
ditions are secured. Pearl Millet as a fodder-plant 
presents a new feature in our agriculture, and I 
feel sure that within ten years we shall wonder how 
we ever got on without it.—[This plant, Tenicillaria 
spicata, w T as figured in the America?!, Agriculturist for 
January last, where an account of its history will 
befouud. We know that considerable quantities 
of the seed were disposed of, and we shall be glad 
of reports from those who have tried it, especially 
unfavorable ones ; these, if the probable causes 
of failure are given, are always instructive.— Eds.]. 
