Wichita eagle., 1889-06-13
PERTAINING TO THE FARM.
Sorghum for Feed.


| r paper read before the Sumner County Farmers
Association. May Ii, 1859. by g. E. Aeeker, OF Belle
The farmers Of Southwest Kansas
have anxiously looked for some plant
that would in measure take the place
OF the tame grasses OF the east as for
age Misunderstanding that would with
stand the rayages of the chinch bug and
all the other thousand and one insect
plaques that we are afflicted with, as
well as the hot winds that have made
such sad havoc for the last two years.
And l believe that in the sorghum plant
we have come the nearest to realizing
our wants in that respect, for after it is
well started it will stand more adversely
of the kind mentioned than any plant
that l know of. For winter feed
it makes more to the acre than any
thing else, and of fair quality, and
stock of all kinds relish it well, includ
ing hogs. While do not believe that
stock should be fed on it entirely, it can
be made the major rough feed with sue
cess. have been raising it for the past
several years and have never failed in
getting a good crop when l had good
stand, and would hardly know how to
get along through the winter without
sorghum. Two years ago my sorghum
was worth more to me per acre than any
other crop raised. For pasture / have
not succeeded as well as some others.
But as we become better acquainted with
the right way to treat it I believe it is
destined to be very important part of
the pasture for the future. l believe it
should be ten to twelve inches high be-
fore stock is turned on to it, and I think
it would be better to have several fields
IN order to change from one to the an
other. 1t will produce large quantity
of feed that will continue to grow until
frost. AS to the cultivation of plant
that makes such a rank growth when
well started, it is tender and
rather slow of growth at first
The ground should be freshly
plowed on account of weeds and should
not be allowed to get cloddy before har-
rowing. The harrow should follow the
pillow very closely in order to insure
perfect stand. | think drilling the best
way to put it in; then follow with a |
roller or drag.
For feed one bushel to the acre should |
be sown, and for pasture more would be |
better. To cut and cure for feed, if |
sown thick enough, it can be readily cut |
L
when about half headed out. If it stands |
then it is very bad to handle, especially |
if coarse. After drying few days it
can be raked into winrows and stacked |
from winrow, or it may be hauled into
big piles with what is called a goodwill |
by going as far on the winrow one way
as you can and then haul from the other
way and dump on top of the first, then
5traighten up with fork. 1t will keep
very well for winter feed, but consider
stacking the best, although it costs more.
Sorghum Is injured less by the weather
than anything else that | know of.
The Outlook for Our Sugar Industry.
Springfield, Ill., State Journal.
The results already attained are much
superior to those attained in the early
in the manufacture of beet
sugar, which now holds the balance of
power in the sugar markets of the world,
md amounts to about 400. 900 tons an
1ually, or more than the total annual
IN the United States of all
sugars, The Marggraff discoveries In
beet sugar were made in 1747, and the
in its manufacture were
;OHJuueu dlulOSt uuluCeIIupIeuly, UOlu
n France and Germany, till 1900 before
he processes were successfully develop
ID. There never was anything in this
7enture more promising than the indi-
cations of sorghum-sugar making in the
United States. The cost of producing
he beet is much the greater.
\ good crop of beets averages
rom ten to twelve tons to
he acre, and the sugar product about /
,er cent. In some states the sorghum
rop goes to about IA. 5 tons to the acre;
'ut, allowing 10 tons to be good aver
ge, the possibilities are better than they
yer were in the infancy of the beet
ugar industry. While, therefore, the
ose-colored promise of the sorghum
ugar experiment in the United States
5 not yet fulfilled, the outlook is good.
When complete success is achieved, as
will be finally, in all reasonable prob .
bility a practically new agricultural in
ustry will have been developed, and
he ENHANCEMENT of the politics of the
ountry with the sugar impost will be !
riped out,