D. M. Ferry &, Co s Descriptive Catalogue. 
51 
bushel per acre, from May first to August first. For 
grain, sow in drills, one peck to the acre, and not later 
than June 20th. Fifty pounds per bushel. 
German, or Golden Millet. — An improved variety, 
medium early, growing three to five feet high. The 
heads are closely condensed, though the spikes are very 
numerous. The seeds are contained in rough, bristly 
sheaths, and are round, golden yellow, and beautiful in 
appearance. 
From close observation during the past few years, the 
fact has been established beyond doubt, that seed of the 
German, or Golden Millet grown in southern latitudes 
will produce a much larger yield of hay than from seed 
grown in northern or western sections of the country, 
and for that reason is far better for farmers to sow. We 
have a good stock of southern grown seed, and knowing 
its value, confidently recommend it. Bear in mind that to 
the farmer, southern grown seed is worth double that of 
northern or western grown. Northern and western 
grown seed is degenerated and hybridized with other 
millets. 
Johnson Grass (Sor- 
gh u m halapense ).—This 
is one of the most valu¬ 
able forage plants of re¬ 
cent introduction, and is 
already very popular in 
the Southern States. 
It is perennial, a rapid 
grower, very nutritious, 
being eagerly devoured 
by all kinds of stock; 
comes early in the 
spring, grows until the 
frosts cut it down in the 
fall; stands the drought 
better than any grass, 
having long, cane-like 
JOHNSON GRASS, roots which penetrate 
{Sorghum Halapense!) the soil for moisture; 
juperior both as a grazing and hay grass; has abundance 
of roots which decay, thereby enriching the ground 
rather than exhausting it as Timothy does ; belonging 
to the Sorghum family, it contains much saccharine, 
which is an important factor in the food of stock. It 
will grow on any land where corn will grow. On lands 
that will produce a bale of cotton to the acre, four to six 
tons of hay can be cut per annum, cutting three and four 
times. Heavy fertilizing would produce greater results. 
The best results follow sowing the seed in August and 
September, enabling the seed to get a good root by fall, 
and forming a better turf the following season. Sow 
with clean seed, broadcast, at the rate of one bushel to 
the acre, and cover with a light brush, or sow just be¬ 
fore a heavy rain. Three good crops the following sea¬ 
son will be the result if the season is favorable. Sowing 
in the spring does well, but the crop would not be as 
heavy the first year. The seed we offer is of this sea¬ 
son’s crop and has been well recleaned. One bushel 
will sow an acre. 
Hungarian Grass (Panicum Germanicum ).—This 
is a species of millet, growing less rank, with smaller 
stalks, often yielding two or three tons of hay per acre. 
It is very popular and valuable with those who are clear¬ 
ing timber lands. Like the millet, it is an annual, and 
requires to be sown every season, but will produce a 
larger return than almost any other crop. Sow and 
cultivate like millet. Forty-eight pounds per acre. 
Extra Fine Mixed Lawn Grass (Central Park 
Mixture). —The essentials for a fine lawn are proper 
drainage, a careful preparation of the soil,which should 
be made as fine and light on the surface as possible, 
thorough rolling, and a selection of the seeds of such 
grasses as will present a luxuriant verdure from early 
spring till late in autumn; and then frequent mowings 
with a lawn mower. However much care is bestowed 
on the soil and seed, no lawn will be beautiful without 
frequent mowing and rolling. Too much care cannot 
| be bestowed upon the selection of grasses, as some va¬ 
rieties are the most luxuriant in spring, others in sum- 
I mer, others again in autumn, and a combination of the 
proper sorts is required for a perfect, carpet-like lawn. 
We have given much thought and made many experi¬ 
ments to secure the best mixture, and think our Central 
Park Mixture is the best possible mixture for permanent 
lawns, resisting the severe droughts of our climate bet¬ 
ter than any other. It may be planted early in spring 
or fall, and should be sown at the rate of from sixty to 
to eighty pounds to the acre, much more being required 
than for hay or pasturage. If sown in the spring, sow 
as early as possible, making the surface very fine and 
smooth, then raking it over and sowing the seed just be¬ 
fore a rain which, if the surface has just been raked, will 
cover the seed sufficiently. If the expected rain does 
not come cover by rolling with a light roller If sown in 
the fall, sow before the autumn rains have ceased, and 
before very cold weather give the young grass a light 
dressing of manure. One pound of this mixture is suf¬ 
ficient to sow a space 30x20 feet, or 600 square feet. 
Kentucky Blue Grass in conjunction with White Clover 
forms one of the finest and closest of lawns. For this 
purpose use three or four bushels of Blue Grass, and 
about six pounds of White Clover per acre. 
MISCELLANEOUS FARM 
SEEDS. 
MICHIGAN Wl NTER'WH EAT. 
A Select List of the Best Varieties Only.—Change Your Seed 
Wheat and Profit Thereby. 
It is often said that farmers, more than any other class 
of men, allow the profits which should come from their 
labor to slip through their fingers, and wc think there is 
no way in which they suffer more in this respect than in 
want of attention to their seed grain. The different va¬ 
rieties of wheat are so similar in the appearance of the 
berry that it is assumed that there is little difference in 
other respects, while the truth is, there is scarcely a 
plant in cultivation in which the varieties are more dis¬ 
tinct and seem more especially adapted to certain con¬ 
ditions of climate and soil than are those of winter 
wheat. This is clearly shown by the results of experi¬ 
ments and tests which have been conducted for the past 
five years at the various experimental stations. For in¬ 
stance, at the Missouri Agricultural College, thirty- 
eight varieties were planted under precisely similar cir¬ 
cumstances, each year for three years, and as a result 
they found that while the average yield of all the vari¬ 
eties for the three crops, including one very good and one 
very poor season, was 29% bushels to the acre, the 
average yield of the variety which did the best was 38 
bushels, and of that which did the poorest 22^ bushels 
per acre. Similar experiments at the Ohio Experimental 
Station gave the average yield 29 bushels, that of the 
best nearly 33 bushels, and that of the poorest 27 bushels; 
and similar results have been obtained at several other 
experimental stations. 
Not only this, but these experiments show that while 
one variety will do the best on one soil, on another it 
may be greatly inferior to some other sort. We know of 
two farmers living within five miles of each other but 
with different soils, who each sowed equal quantities of 
four different kinds of wheat, keeping a careful record 
