The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-04-30
supar Cane for Feeding Cattle.

Eds. Country Gentiemaa-My attention was
called to an item on page 20S, IN the issue OF
March 3lst, in which S. &. o. asks: Can
some Of your correspondents give their OK
perience in raising sorghum, or sugur cane,
as forage crop? Can as much be raised on
anacre as corn, and IS it not more nutritious?'
And you add in a note "Will such OF our
readers a. have made practical test of sor-
ghum, please give the result for ieedlng!" In
RESPONSE will say that tried the experiment
of raising and feeding sugar cane last season,
and my experience is worthy of note l re-
ceived last spring from the Commissioner OF
Agriculture at Washington. D. g., small
sack of seed, perhaps containing pound,
which was labelled Minnesota Early Amber
Sorghum or Sugar Cane with the request to
mote and report soil, culture, time OF sowing,
Tune OF reaping, quality and quantity OF crop
This did, and Will repeat it IN substance, Tor
the benefit of your readers, especially those
who advocate ensilage for mich cows
Nv soil is dark, rich intervale, underlald
with a stratum of fiat limestone, and equal,
perhaps, to any In the state. l gave 1t the
same culture as corn, planting in rows both
ways, putting in IL tn 10 seeds in hill. |
used the Buffalo phosphate, dropping large
spoonful in each hill As the seed was late
reaching me through the mail, did not plant
until the 2d of June gathered the seed on
crop grew from to 10 feet high, and as to
quantity and quality. | should say it would
produce double the yield by weight Of corn,
all things being equal, and it Is twice as nu-
trltious for feeding stock as green corn.
There are several facts which think | have
demonstrated by my test with this distinct
and very early variety of sorghum: l. 1t is
as much better for feeding cattle than sweet
corn, as sweet corn IS better than common
sowed corn; and every man ought to know
that sweet corn planted in hills, and allowed
TO stand until cars are developed before feed
Ing is twice as valuable as any sOwed corn,
either green or dried, for fodder. O. If this
early cane is planted as soon as May 10th, II
will be fit to cut for fodder as soon as July
10th, and it will then yield second crop
equal to if not greater than the first. l did
not begin to cut and feed my crop until after
Aug. 10Th, and yet suckers sprang out from
the roots or stubs of that which was cut down,
Numbering from three to five from each old
stalk | exhibited, at the Washington County
Fair, a bundle Of this second growth which
measured five feet in height, and was IN tassel
Again, that it Is the best soiling teed for
mich cows, Is fact demonstrated beyond
question with me. My COWS ate 1t with avidi
ty, and 1t kept up the flow of milk during the
dry, short pasture in summer, atfordlng the
richest milk and making the best butter ever
produced. The seed, of which it yields large
quantities, makes good food for ANIMALS, and
is espt cialy valuable for poultry. This cane Is
remarkably rich in saccharine juice. yielding
1t il SAID, 100 gallons of beautiful golden syrup
per acre This last assertion will be tested the
present season, and the facts fully published
The seed saved has been tested and grows
readily.-N. III. G, hingsburH N. T..