The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1896-05-06
The KafRr Corn.

We regret that we are unable to give
much information in reply to inquiries
with regard to Kafir corn, the new grain
whose large and increasing cultivation in
the Western States We noted a few days
ago. We find in the Southern Planter,
however, some facts stated by Mr.. F. D.
Coburn, secretary Of the Kansas depart
ment of Horticulture, showing its yield as
compared with Indian corn, which are OF
interest.
For six years the Kansas experiment
station at Manhattan has grown Indian
corn and "red" Kaffir corn side by side
for the purpose Of testing the COMPARE
tive Yields of both fodder and grain. The
table Of results compiled by Mr.. +. @.
Burtis, Of the Station, shows hat the av-
erage yield per acre of the Kafhr corn for
five years was SIS bushels of grain and 4
ga tons Of fodder, as against 80 bushels
of grain and 3 IL tons Of fodder for the
Indian corn. In 1895 the yield in grain
of the new corn doubled that of the old.
The average shows that the Kafir corn
Yields 40 per cent mor grain and nearly
95 per cent more fodder than Indian corn.
In 1894 the grain Of both failed, the ex.
perimental crops having been planted
ION a poor upland prairie soil undertake
with hard pan," and having missed rain
from the middle Of July to September l
In these conditions the Kafir corn yield
ed two tons of fodder to the acre and the
Indian corr one ton. MI. Burtis reports
that such dry weather kills the Indian
corr and it must then be cut, but
the Kahr corn lives on "although the
growth may be checked before the crop
natures"
Mr.. Burtis presents the further con-
illusions from his experience mp to the
present time: For the combined purpose
Of raising the largest yield of grain and 8
fair 1antity Of slower 1t Is q fact beyond
6snbt that the red and white Kaffir corns
are superior to any Of the non-saccharine
sorghums and the sugar (sorghum) canes.
The latter will produce more hay or fod-
der and of q little more palatable quality
than the Kafir corns. and are preferred
by many on account of this fact when
hay or fodder isthe sole object. Although
there Is a great deal said about which Is
the best, the red or the white, / believe
when the proper comparison is made the
conclusion will show but little difference,
q. least not IS much as was first supposed.
Aside from the color there is 8 much
greater difference between the different
strains of the same variety than there is
between the red and white varieties. A
few who have kept their seed pure and
carefully selected can testify to this when
thew have been, for some reason, forced
to buy seed outside and got hold OF some
Door stuff. These sorghums are very
susceptible to cross fertilization and mod
i6~cation, and there will be a rapid i'm
proyement or deterioration, according to
The care that. is exercised in selection Of
seed. Much of the Kafir corn seed that
ia offered for sale is not the best. One
may get as much difference IN results
from Kaf6r corr seed produced from two
sources as between very good variety
of corn and a poor one"
While the subject of "something better
than corn is under consideration 1t is in
structive to note briefly the experience
of q Virginia farmer with another crop
which is little known in South Carolina,
we believe. Mr.. W. II. Wilson, of st.
Brides, Va, writes 10 the Southern Planter
that he has five reasons for planting more
sssoia beans'' than corn, as follows:
"i1.) J can get more net money out OF
one bushel of SOFA beans than out of 1--WE
bushels of corn. (2.) I think corn Is five
times as hard on the land as sofa beans.
(3.) Corn costs me five times as much to
grow as sofa beans. (4.) I think SOFA
beans are FIVE times as rich in oily matter
as corn. l5.) I think sofa beans are five
times better for producing milk and but
ter than corn"
Some of our farmers make but a poor
SUCCESS growing corn on upland acres in
dry seasons. They might try Kaf1ir corn
or sofa beans, or both. Now Is the time
to plant both.-NegS and Courier.