20 
Colorado Experiment Station 
caution is taken it will make as fine hay and usually a little more 
tonnage than Common. The other varieties are adapted, but do not 
possess any superiority. As a consequence, planting for hay purposes 
should be limited to the German and Common. 
Preparation of the Soil .—The soil for millets must be prepared as 
thoroly, or more thoroly, than for sorghums and corn, as it is small 
seeded and must have a comparatively congenial seed bed if it is to 
produce a good crop. In order to accomplish the production of such 
a seed bed, plowing should be very early in order to allow the accumu¬ 
lation and protection of the moisture supply. 
Seeding .—Millet should not be seeded until approximately the 
first of June for most of the Plains territory. It will not develop in 
a cold soil, and since it matures in a short season, planting can be 
delayed until the soil is thoroly warm, which is about the first of June. 
Preferably the seed should be put in with a press drill, using about 25 
to 30 pounds of seed per acre. It can, however, be seeded by broaa- 
casting and harrowing the seed in, or better still, rolling it in and 
following the roller with a harrow. 
Harvesting .—Millet makes a valuable hay if it is cut at the right 
time. The right time is about the time the seed is in the milk. It 
allowed to mature farther than this the seed is liable to injure livestock 
to which it is fed. This is especially true of horses. When cut at the 
proper time, just as the seed is reaching the milk it makes a palatable, 
nutritious hay. The hay can be cut and allowed to partly cure in the 
swath, raked and cocked for complete curing. As soon as thoroly 
cured, it should be stacked to prevent loss. 
SWEET CLOVER 
In Colorado, Sweet Clover has been considered a weed and a 
serious pest until very recently. Many, however, are coming to recog¬ 
nize that this crop has value. As a soil renovator there is no legume 
which will give as desirable and quick results as will Sweet Clover. 
It finds an excellent place in pastures, and when cut at the proper time 
makes a nutritious, palatable hay. Feeding experiments at a number 
of experiment stations have shown that Sweet Clover hay, cut at the 
right time and properly cured, will give equal results with alfalfa hay. 
There is a little more waste usually with Sweet Clover than alfalfa, but 
for the pounds consumed, just as good returns in meat or milk pro¬ 
duction are received. 
Sweet clover is usually well adapted for the sandier sections and 
should be planted rather freely in native pastures. In many places 
where it is difficult to start alfalfa, or to get a crop of alfalfa. Sweet 
Clover will make a profitable legume crop in place of it. It can be 
planted in rows similar to row alfalfa, or planted broadcast. It is 
sufficiently valuable to be given a thoro trial wherever there is diffi¬ 
culty in growing alfalfa in rows. Probably in those localities where 
alfalfa does well in rows, it will not be worth while to grow Sweet 
Clover for hay, but even in such localities it will be well to attempt get¬ 
ting the crop started in pastures. If rightly managed, it will be possible 
