Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1896-01-25
KAFFIR CORN EXPERIMENT
Farmers Opinions Who Have Tried
the African Maize.
Men Who Have Tried the Southern
Cereal See No Reason Why
It should Not BE u


Chamberlain, s. D., Jan. 16.-One of
the important topics of discussion by
the farmers Of South Dakota is the
much lauded kaffir corn and the ques-
ton of its adaptability to this climate.
Last year and prior "A few farmers In
the state procured small quantities of
seed n experimental with it, and the
results of these experiments, as drawn
out by the present discussion, are inter-
esting. Il. IL. Strong, a farmer and
ranchman on White river. west of here,
had a field of the corn which yielded
fully up to expectations. He declares
hat ii is the very best kind Of feed for
any kind of stock. Il. J. Germ, a Cham
berlain business man, experimental
last season with a small field each OF
ordinary ndian corn II katfir corn.
The ordinary corn was irrigated several
times, while the kaffir corn received
only the natural rainfall. which was
much below normal. still the kafhr
corn grew fully as fast as the other, was
green and healthy looking during the
very dryest periods OF the summer
proving, In this instance at least, that
It can withstand drouth 10 h degree
claimed for It. In referring TO a news
RoPNt llAl6 ~ tN
slow in going into the culture OF kafir
corn. +. d.. Hyer, a prominent Hanson
county framer, says that three years
& he risked "a dime in seed. This
year he has ten bushels of seed and next
spring will put I'm all he can cultivate.
He declares that he finds nothing that
eXcels it for feed and nothing that
stands the dry, hot winds and always
keeps growing like II. His experience
shows that the kaffir corr should he put
In the ground as early as other corn and
the more it is cultivated the better; that
1t can be cut for feed three times in
early summer. A number of families
living at Eureka have been trying meal
made from the grains OF kaffir corn,
which are larger than a grain OF rice
and greatly resembles wheat i'm interior
structure. Those who have used the
new meal, according to general report,
pronounce 1t far superior to either corn
or buckwheat for cakes or bread. A
quantity of the corn will be planted in
that vicinity this spring, as well as in
other parts Of the state. Several ranch
men near Rapid City propose giving it
a trial the coming season. They argue
that If the corn makes good feed for
s'SS ~ "''A' pN WI d ialSiil6s " AAN
are many small farms and ranches on
which a few hogs might be kept with
little trouble and much profit if a crop
of something for feed was sure of being
raised. While there seems to be a good
deal 10 be said in favor of the new corn,
there are, of course, two sides to the
question. Some experiments last sea-
son are said not to have produced very
favorable results. A resident of Water
town who spent fifteen years in South
Africa, the region from which the seed
was brought TO this country, saw the
corn grow there time and again. and ex-
presses the opinion that it will not prove
q success in this climate He has never
witnessed any experiments with it here,
therefore his opinion is wholly super
fetal. but adds that he does know hat
even in the warm climate OF Africa,
where the growing season is longer han
ii is here, the kaffir corn crop was a
failure three or our eason during the
fifteen years of his residence because
there was not sufficient time for 1t to
mature. His judgment is that the corn
is much more tender than our Ameri-
can corn. and not able to stand frost so
we'll. However, the experiments with
, hfceeSn wt,HeR fnnSSireea asrsessRp Will be con-
periments, and are expected to demon
strate to a certainty whether or not the
corn Is suited to this climate.