The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1896-01-31
new FEED STAPLE
~ 4sete&s ss-ss- 80 tsss - 3.
About Promise and Perform
of "Kaffir Corn.s
TRIED FOR SIX YEARS.
In Eastern States it is Con-
stantly Gaining.
TRIED FOR SIX YEARS.

Investigations made By the
Chicago Tribune prove that the
Kaffir corn is gaining ground in
Kansas and Nebraska. A letter
from Topeka says:
Several years of cultivation of
Kaffir corn have demonstrated that
it is one of the most remunerative
crops that can be grown under con-
ditions existing in this state. That
the farmers realize this fact is
proven by the remarkable increase
in the acreage shown by the reports
of the secretary Of the state board
of agriculture for 1895. In 1898
the Kaffir corn acreage was 46,911;
in 1894, 95,237; and in 1895, 1884,
1913. M
The state agricultural college at
Manhattan has been experiment.
ing with Kaffir corn since 1889.
Two varieties Of seed were issued
which from the color are respective.
ly denominated white and red Kaf.
fir corn. They are alike in their
habits of growth. Both attain q
height Of FIVE or six feet, or more
on very rich soil They both have
short stiff stalks, thickly covered
with foliage, which somewhat re-
sembles leaves of sorghum, and
both produces long, slender up
right head densely covered with
small rounded seed, but also in the
yield per acre and in the time Of
ripening. The red variety has, in
variably, beenthe best yielder on
the state farm, and it also natures
a couple of weeks earlier than the
white seeded variety. While the
red Kaffir corn has never been in
jured by frosts, the white variety
has failed to mature seed more
than once. Besides, an unduly
large PERCENTAGE of the stalks Of
this kind fail to push the head
completely through the sheath of
the upper leaf, and from this cause
a portion of che heads thus affected
are moldy below, or at best bear
but poorly developed seed on the
portion covered by the sheath.
This is rarely the case with the red
variety. For this reason the red
variety is considered much the bet
ter Of the two. Both the varieties
are classed as non-saccharine sor-
ghum, and in common with all
varieties of sorghum will stand
drought much better than Indian
corn,
Kaffir corn seed has been found
4qual to corn in feeding value, and
the red variety yields rather better
than corn in all seasons, and in
all seasons will produce moderate
crop Of seed when corn only pro-
duced fodder.
Kaffir corn will do as we'll in
| good corn countries US Indian corn,
| and it will thrive in many places
where corn cannot be grown at all.
Several methods have been adopted
in Kansas of cultiyating Kafiir
corn. Some farmers sow it as they
do wheat and cut it for the fodder,
only feeding the seed on the stalks.
On this subject Prof. 9. G. George
sou, of the state agricultural col
lege, says: "Kaffir corn is best
| grown in rows 80 inches to three
feet apart, and can be sown either
with sorghum drill or with a
common wheat drill, on which all
except the first and fifth hose are
closed up. We then seed two rows
at time, 80 inches apart. A little
practice will soon show how the
drill must be set in order to SOW
the right quantity Of seed. II il
comes up too thick it must b.
thinned. Good heads will bt
formed when the stalks are about
four or FIVE inches apart in the row
In all other respects it should bs
cultivated like corn"
| A letter from Lincoln, Neb., says
A. S. Godfrey, Of this city, raised
so acres Of it last season in thi'
county (Lancaster) The vicinity
suffered the most from drought O
any portion of the state. The
common corn crop was considered
a total failure, the average yielC
being only about five bushels to
the acre. Mr.. Godfrey planted tn
three varieties of Kaffir corn, th'
red, white and black. The reC
| yielded IS bushels an acre, th
white so and the black 40. HI
believes it to be the coming croI
for the stockraisers of this state
He points to its success last yea
as undoubtable proof of its fertilit.
| in a season almost destitute Of pre-
cipitation. The seed he procured
from Kansas, planting four pound
to the acre, listing it with a drill
He expects to plant much large
Z A 4