Z May, 1898.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 847 
Sorghums and millets thrive best, of course, on a rich, deep, well-drained, 
sandy loam ; but they do fairly well on any soil, provided it is ploughed deep, 
kept well pulverised and free from weeds. Most of the small millets are better 
sown broadcast, but the sorghums must be sown in rows. 
The rows should be about 3 feet apart, and the sowing thin. This last 
point is very important. It allows the plants to stool well, und the free 
circulation of air amongst them favours the formation of saccharine matter in 
the stem. It also increases the weight of the crop. This season I have sown 
over ]4:acres of a species of American Amber Cane (the Undendibule) with but 
30 Ib. of seeds. The result is a most even and well-grown crop, remarkably 
vich in sugar, and reaching, at a first cutting, an average of from 15 to 16 
tons per acre. <A. second cutting will bring it to upwards of 20 tons per acre. 
Of course, such an even and thin sowing can be secured only by using some 
sort of seed drills such as the hand or horse Planet Junior. The saving in 
seed, time, and labour repays their full cost in a few days’ work. 
I will now give below, on those of the sorghums and millets which are most 
to be recommended, a few extracts from my’ notes and observations. It is 
hoped they may prove useful to beginners in agriculture, and to those farmers 
who have but recently settled in Queensland. The readeris requested to refer 
to the accompanying plates, taken from Nature at the Experiment Farm by 
Mr. F. Wills, Artist to the Department of Agriculture. 
Setaria italica (Panicum germanicum), commonly known as panicum or 
Hungarian Millet, should be sown broadcast at the rate of from 6 Ib. to 8 1b. 
per acre. Height of stems, from 3 to 38 feet 6 inches. Length of heads, from 
5 to Ginches. The seeds are very small, and form an excellent bird and chick 
seed. Yield, from 20 to 25 bushels per acre. When not sown too thickly, 
the Setaria stools beautifully, with an abundance of juicy stems and flags, 
greatly relished by all kinds of stock. It is excellent-as greenstuff, makes 
good ensilage, and good hay. When chaffed, it ean hardly be surpassed as 
horse feed. ‘The seeds, being so small, ought to be sown shallow on a well- 
pulverised soil. A little shower is needed to give them a start; but after they 
are well up, they stand the drought remarkably well. The great advantage of 
this plant is that it matures so quickly, being ready to cut in from ten to 
twelve weeks. It can thus be grown as a catch crop between two crops of 
cereals, though as a rotation this is not to be recommended. It can be sown 
as soon as the frost is over—say from October to March, inclusive. 
Yellow Millet.—Another good fodder crop to grow broadcast, but not so 
rofitable as the Setaria. Yield, from 2 to 3 tons of greenstuff, and from 20 
to 25 bushels of seed, whichis unsurpassed for rearing young chickens. 
Pearl Millet—Height, 3 to 4 feet; length of heads, 33 inches. Average 
yield, from 6 to 8 tons. Seed, about 20 bushels. ; 
Soudan Millet.—This is quite new to Queensland, and perhaps to Aus- 
tralia, the seeds having been sent out the first time this season from Egypt by 
the Queensland Commercial Agent, Mr. Finucane. It stools remarkably 
well, reaches a height of 6 feet. The heads are 12 inches long, spindle- 
shaped, and covered with innumerable little seeds very similar to those of the 
Pearl Millet. ‘Uhe plant looks a little like a bush of rushes. The stem and 
leayes are somewhat parchment-like, which induces one to believe that they 
will prove to be rather a horse than a cattle fodder. It is likely to be a nseful 
addition to our fodder plants, and can be safely recommended in poultry 
farming. Average crop, 8 tons. Seeds, over 30 bushels to the acre. 
Dari Sorghum.—An Indian variety, growing to a height of 6G feet, with 
heads 5 inches long; very thick at the bottom, and somewhat of the shape of a 
telegraph insulator. Those heads are very thickly set with nourishing seeds, 
good for the same purposes as maize. The ayerage crop is over 40 bushels per 
acre, but a great drawback is the threshing, the seeds shelling with great 
difficulty. It stands the drought well, and gives over 12 tons per acre of good 
green or ensilage stuff. 
Al 
