The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1896-01-31

under the same condition will not
produce more than 18 bushels of
corn. In fertile blttomland, with
sufficient moisture, the yield Of
corn will be equal if not greater
than Kaffir. There is some differ
ence also in favor of corn in saving
the crop and the loss from birds,
but it is not materials KsiIir with.
these drawbacks and waste being
still very far ,head Of corn in pro-
duction. The great point, however,
that the Kansas and Oklahoma
farmers look at is the certainty Of
the crop.
Kaffir reaches its maturity in
from 80 to ITO days, but there is a
popularity about it that increases
the expense of gathering it. 1t
does not mature uniformly. This
extra expense, however, is COM
paratively very light, 1t is not
we'll to put Kaffir corn in early.
The ground must be warm to re-.
ceive it and shallow drilling is in
its favor. The last week in May
is the rule, but the best Kalfir
grown in this country this year
was put in in fields from which a
crop of wheat has been harvested
in June.
In this state seed put in on May
20, followed by a cold rain, was
almost a complete failure, while
seed put in from the same bin in
the same soil June Is made an ex-
cellent crop. The ground must
also be free from weeds at the time
of planting, as the early growth is
very slow and the plants exceed
ingly tender. 1t can be either
sowed or planted according as the
farmer needs ebay" or grains.
To return to feeding; Mr.. Hans
ford says that for work horses
Kaftir is not as good as corn, but
for light driving horses and young
animals it is much better. 1t fat
tens and enhances the appearance
of the animals. Pigs two weeks
old will live on Kaffir, and This
alone is one of its great advant-
ages.
County Commissioner d. A. VIII
son and Colonel M. NJ. Murdoch,
editor of the Wichita Daily Eagle,
are fond Of Kafir hoe cakes, and
they assert that they are preferable
to buckwheat. They think, how
ever, that mixture of a little
buckwheat with Kaffir -four will
help the cakes somewhat. Jerry
Howard, who makes the Kaffir
-four, with more candor than self
ishness thinks that while the Kaffir
hoe cake is delicious, it is not as
palatable as the buckwheat cake.
Il think the Kaffir cake is fad,D
he said, "and has not permanent
place on the breakfast table Of the
rich and aesthetic, but it will be to
the poor and middle class what the
potato is to the Irishman." .,
A letter from Chadron, Nebraska,
says:
Those who have raised this new
corn say it is about as valuable a
crop as the common corn, and COM
pares favorably with barley or
oats. It is especially valuable for
seed fodder, but it is also used to a
large extent for family purposes.
1t has been thoroughly tested for
stock, and has been found to be
healthful, and there is no case on
record where an overfeed of it has
injured stock. They seek it greed
lily and tatten on it, 1t is also an
excellent grain to feed to chickens,
as they like it and fatten on it
rapidly. 1t is a good deal like the
Egyptian corn raised to some ex-
tent in California, and is also SINH
lar to what is known as Jerusalem
corn. It seems to be a different
species Of the same general family.
In value it is about the same as
common corn, in the judgment Of
local feed dealers and those who
are posted in such matters.
The -four made from the Kaffir
corn is not as good as the meal
made from it.. 1t is better when
mixed with other wheat flour. A
good many people use the meal for
priming light yeast bread, mixing
in some Of the meal, and claim it
is good. The bolted red Kaffir
flour is not very highly recon-
mended, however.
From information obtained di-
rect from those who have tested
this corn during the last year, it
can be said it will grow when all
other crops fail. In sections where
| there is a total crop failure the
last year, this corn hourished and
did we'll, producing all the way from
| 80 to As bushels to the acre. Farm.
ers who put in a little of il as an
experiment, and who expected to
realize on their other crops, found
that the drought destroyed all
other crops and did not seem to
affect the red Kafiir corn to any
perceptible extent. The people ol
| the West are continually on the
lookout for something of this kind,
| a crop that they can rely upon alb
solutely, and up to the present writ.
! ing the only two that have with.
stood the severe test have been alf-
/ nc, ord Kafffr corn The latter X