The Brunswick times., 1896-05-09


silage. For soijing it is usually sown
in drills, and should be cut when the
"heads" are formed. For pasturage the
best plan is to SOW broadcast, and if
peas are sown with it the feeding value
of both crops is greatly increased, the
peas furnishing the muscle making and
the sorghum the fat making elements.
The best hay is obtained by cutting the
sorghum soon after it begins to bloom.
For ensilage the crop should be cut
when the seed is in the dough"
The usual plan of harvesting the
drilled grain is to cut with scythe,
but the mower may be used. In our
climate, where there is not much moist
ure during the late summer and early
fall months, the crop may be cured
very successfully. Where sown broad
cast cut with the mower, and allow the
hay to cure thoroughly. which will re-
quire more or less time according to the
weather, from four to six days usually.
1t may be then stored in the barn or
put into stacks. topped off with coarse
grass. The following plan is recon-
mended by the Texas Experiment Sta
tion and is an excellent one:
After moving, allow the sorghum to
lie upon the ground sufficiently long to
dry out at the ends of the blades. II
the crop is thick it should be turned
over upon the ground to expose the bot
tom portion of the CROP to the sun for q
short time; usually one full days sun
is required to dry it sufficiently to be
put into the ''cock." These haycocks
may be feet high and i'll diameter,
OF the shape of an oldfashioned beehive.
All of the hay that Is put up in this
manner should be we'll settled as it is
laid on the pile. After having con-
structed it to the proper height, rake
the loose sorghum away from the sides,
leaving neat pile of hay that will turn
water in case it should rain. Allow it
to remain i'll this shape for two or three
days for fermentation to take place,
which is evidenced by the cheating"
and the deposit of dew upon the inte-
rior parts of the cock When thoroughly
warm and before the hay loses its natu-
raj color, open the cook and expose the
hay to four or six hours sun. according
to the weight of the crop per acre and
the size of stacks; then the hay is ready
to haul to the barn or be placed i'll
stacks, where it may safely be expected
to remain without moulding or heating
further. If the hay is allowed to re-
main i'll the cocks too long. the fermen-
tation proceeds too far and the hay sours
and then rots in the field. 1t will re-
main longer in the cocks without dam
age the less of water or sap it contains
when put up. Use no salt or
other applications to preserve the hay.
The hay may be baled safely if given
six to ten hours sun from the cock, de-
pending on the size of the stalks.
With ordinary precautions no fear of
injury to stock need be entertained. In
nearly all cases of trouble from feed
ing sorghum, it has been found
that it was caused from careless
feeding. Discretion should be exercised
in regulating the feed and the animals
should not be allowed to have too much
at first, particularly if they are hun
cry. All kinds of stock are very fond
of it, but, like clover, it is liable to
cause bloating if fed in too large guam
titles at first. In pasturing, it is we'll
to allow the dew to dry off before turn
ing the animals on it, and to keep them
on only short time until they have be-
come accustomed to the forage. As
the forage contains an excess of fat
forming substances, it attains it's high
est value when given with other foods
containing muscle making elements. If
animals are turned on a field of sor-
ghum when hungry and allowed to
gorge themselves, whether it be the
first, second or third growth, trouble
may be expected, and the same is true
of clover and other grass foods State
Agricultural Department.
The opium CurculiO."
QUEsTIoN.-I send you some small