The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-09-28
Sorghum for Fodder.

For some years, writes a successful far
mer in Country Gentleman, we have
planted sorghum, and used it freely as q
fall and winter fodder for our herd of sixty
or seventy Holsteins, and have found that
it comes nearer taking the place Of ensilage
than any other cured field crop. In fact,
with us it does take tue place Of ensilage,
being excellent for fattening cattle, aud
when rightly supplemented with ground
grain forms an excellent milk food. the
grain u.ed being not so much corn as bran,
shorts, or cotton SEED meal.
Though less rich thar the first crop of
clover hay as a milk food, sorghum in win
ter is valuable as being our nearest APP.
proach TO green corn the stalks retaining
their succulent quality to "a much greater
degree than would field corn, even though it
was cut in the roas ting-e state.
Care must be taken, however not TO give
cow an unlimited amount of sorghum
when very hungry; we feed them first in
the stable, and then after milking turn them
out in pleasant weather on sod upon which
load of sorghum Is scattered. They seem
to relish it greatly, beginning at one end of
long stalk. and chewing steadily to the
other. But a COW that is disposed to bloat
must never be allowed other than a very
inoueIaCo qoonOity' SsPOSAoAiy "noA Huu
cry.
Before hauling out q load we usually
have the seed cut off. which is more valua-
BILE as poultry food because the cows are
1able to masticate all Of il, though if the
seed could be ground, it would go far to-
ward making the sorghum much better
milk food.
1t is said to be exhaustive to land, but we
cannot consider sorghum a waste when we
frs VQlna a il VialdS three times
much provender to the acre as any other
crop. Nor does the land afterward seem
much impoverished we have raised two
crops in succession on the same ground
then followed it with clover, which made
excellent growth, and there is now fine
wheat growing where sorghum was three
years ago.
Sorghum should be cut before frost, and
stored in such a way az will keep it from
freezing.
We begin to cut in September, making a
small shock at first and as it cures in shock
add more to it until a large shock is formed. .
AS much as we have room for is also stored
under shelter for use in bad weather, and
we commence feeding it 10 September and
continue as long as it lasts-until February,
this year.
Land of moderate fertility is best for
sorghum;i if too rich. the stalks are larger
than a COW can manage, while on poor
ground they will be spindling, though poor
land will bring more sorghum than any
other crop.
Sow in drills from three to three and one
half feet apart, and it would be best to have
the seed three inches apart aud only one in
place. Stalks should be thick enough to
prevent their growing more than one inch
in diameter. and thin enough TO keep them
from being weak and spiudling.
They grow here from eight to ten feet
high, and, therefore. the drills should be far
enough from each other to permit the sun
shine to reach the ground between. Sun
shine has great influence in the formation Of
saccharine matter, and, if deprived of it,
the sorghum will be woody and devoid of
sweetness.
One year we had some sorghum made into
molasses, and found thu yield to bs in the
proportion of 200 gallons TO the acre.