The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1896-01-09
KAFFIR CORN.
A BLESSING TO OUR ARID
REGION.
It Grows In Spite OF the Lack
water--It VIII Make the Amer
lean Sandy Wastes vaIua-
BILE Farming Lands.
T |AFFIR corn, first introduced

Africa, less thar a decade
since, is still an unknown product 10
nine-tenths of the people OF the United
States, writes a correspondent from
Guthrie, Oklahoma.
At first planted here and there as a
curiosity, it was found to grow readily
in all localities and under all condi.
tions. and experiment developed the
fact that il would mature crop in the
dryest and hottest seasons on the high
Western plains. A more extended
planting of the new grain and q COM
parison OF results obtained soon dc.
veloped the fact that whether the sea.
son was wet or dry, cool or hot, long
or short, this new product would
thrive on all kinds of soils with the
minimum Of care and cultivation, and,
planted any time between the lst of
April and the middle of July il would
mature nm absolutely sure crop of
grain and fodder before the frosts of
autumn.
II will grow luxuriantly on the sod
OF newly broken ground, produce fine
crops either on bottom or upland, is a
natural enemy of weeds, and will be as
clean with two civilizations rs Indian
corn will be with four times ms many,
1t is rather slow in terminating and
getting n start in growth, but is cor.
respondingly sure, not requiring rains
to sprout it, and when once we'll under
way 1T grows right straight along
cloudy weather or bright, drought or
rain, hot winds or northers being all
the same to it and seemingly of equal
benefit to its growth.
The stalk looks somewhat like a sin.
gle shoot of common corn, but short.
er, attaining hight usually of from
four and half to six feet, and having
pointed leaves of a rich green color.
The grain forms in head Mt the ex-
treme point of the shoot, where the
tassol is on ordinary corn, the heads
being from seven to twelve inches in
length and six to eight in circumfer-
ence, and when ripe look like great
white or red plumes standing proudly
erect.
The grains are almost round, little
larger than a grain of rice and much
resembling a grain Of wheat in interior
structure.
There are two varieties, red and |
white, the latter being the favorite
crop, and the grains taken separately |
III appearance most remorka. |
bly, with ancient descr'
sent the
during their Y
and, coming
the Western
wheat and al
'"-'~' II -
.S.vo. ~ .nv -OaSnt, A. i-SunUu, iii
another supply OF mama sent by the
God of Israel.
Though raised as an experiment
here and there throughout the West
for several years 1t was not until 1895
that it became prominent crop.
When the drought of last spring killed
the wheat and oats and seemed almost
certain to ruin the corn, tho few who
had had experience with the new grain
began to advise their neighbors to
plant Kalfir corn, as it would grow all
right in dry weather, and they could
thus Mt least raise feed for their stock.
The newspapers took up the advice and
soon every farmer throughout the
West was planting katlir corn, utiliz'
ing the ground whereyhis wheat and
oats had failed or planting on sod or
scattered patches where his early corn
had been burned out.
The planting was continued until
we'll along i'll August, the acreage be-
ing in many sections greater than that
ever devoted to single srop. In
Oklahoma alone nearly $4,000 acres
were planted with the new crop. And
every grain of it planted grew and
thrived to maturity, and before the
summer was over the farmers began to
wonder what they would do with it
all. They knew it was good for stock,
but there was not stock enough in the
Territory to begin to consume it, and
the product was yet SO new that it was
not recognized in the outside markets.
Experience has already developed
the fact that it made most admir-.
able feed, either to winter stock or
fatten them for market, but, with AN
abundance of the grain on hand, Ok
lshoma farmers soon discovered that
it was better for horses than either
corn or oats, making them fat and
stout and giving them n sleek, glossy
appearance. Both horses aud cattle
not only like and thrive on the grain,
but do as we'll on the fodder as on the
best of hay, and will eat up the entire
stock, even after it is quite dry, and
cows produce richer milk and more of
il than when fed on hay aud bran.
When it came to feeding hogs it was
found that they gained flesh more rap
idly than when fed on common corn,
and poultrymen have found the Kaffir
grain an admirable egg producer. and
when fed unthreshed the fowls are Civ
en- exercise in picking it from the
head.
The boys and girls soon discovered
that it would pop as we'll as popcorn,