Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1889-02-22
Kamr Corn.

corn. Prof. Shelton, Of the agricul-
tural college, has this to say about it:
''Now that public attention is turned
to the sorghum plant as a possible
source Of our sugar supply, it seems
appropriate to call attention to the
Somewhat numerous class Of So called
pon-saccharine sorghums I'VE believe
none are wholly wanting in sugar. as
a farm crop, especially in regions Of
uncertain rain supply. The white
and yellow milo maize and Kafir
corn have been very successfully
grown, even during the last two or
three very dry summers, in central
and western Kansas. Correspondents
Of undoubted veracity assure US that
they have grown crops Of forty to six
ty bushels of grain per acre, to say
nothing of the heavy crops of fodder,
when the common Indian corn in the
neighbOrhOOd was a complete failure
We have grown at the Station the
past year the sorts named above and
several Of their near relatives, includ-
ing Rural Branching sorghum and
African millet. These sorts Of cane
have the sorghums ability to resist
drOuth, and give a heavy yield of
grain and fodder. Farmers living In
the western and southwestern coun-
ties ought not to allow another season
to pass without giving these new O.
sorghums a thorough trial The seed
is inexpensive "a bushel costing $3.50
will plant a dozen acres) while the
cultivation given corn or common sor-
ghum is sufficient to make the crop"
We also take the following from a
farmers letter in the Kansas Farmer
of recent date.
Seeing few articles in your val
liable paper about this new forage
plant, I thought I would say what
know of it. It is a variety of sor-
/ ghum, non-saccharine, and distinctly
different in habit of growth and other
characteristics from all others of that
class. The plant is low, stocky, per
fectly erect, the foliage is wide, alter
mating closely on either side Of the
stocks. 1t does not stool from the
roots until cut, then one stock will
seed out from five to twenty shoots,
which grow up and make another
good crop. It branches from the top
joints, producing from two to four
heads Of grain from each stock. The
heads are long, narrow and perfectly
erect, well filed with white grain,
/ which at maturity is slightly fecked
with red or reddish brown spots. This
grain weighs sixty pounds per bushel.
The average height of growth IS from
five to six feet. The stock is stout,
never blown about by winds, never
tangles, and is always manageable,
easily handled IF the growth is
checked by want of moisture, the
plant waits for rain, and then resumes
its processes, and in the most disas-
/ ferrous seasons It has not failed so far
to make its crop. On very thin lands
it yields paying crops Of grain and
forage, even in dry seasons in which
Indian corn has utterly failed on the
same lands. The whole stock as well
as the blades, cures into excellent fod-
der, and in all stages Of its growth is
available for green feed; can be cut
In any stage and cure up nice and
bright and retain all its substance.
Stock of all kinds eat it very greedily.
I think, as a forage plant, it has no
superior, while the heads make a fine
feed for horses, mules, cattle, hogs,
and poultry, as was ever fed
Kaffr corn should be planted early
in April, or as soon as the ground is
warm enough to grow it. It bears
earlier planting than other millets or
sorghum. 1t should be put in rows
not over three feet apart, even on best
lands, and it bears thicker planting
In the rows than cane; it should be
drilled along In the row. No plant
can equal it for quality and quantity
Of grain and forage on thin lands.
The cultivation of Kafir corn is
conducted Just as that of common In
dian corn. Standing four or six
stalks in every foot Of drill, the plows
or eultivators must be chiefly relied
on, but little hoe work being praeti-
cable, or ever necessary. The first
seed heads form at the top Of each