The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1899-03-08

soon makes a very heavy growth. l
find that Kaffir corn is one crop that
will stand almost any quantity Gig
uratively speaking) of potash, prOvid-
ed that phOsphoric acid is used liber-
ally at the same time.
1t is advisable, if possible, to make
this crop follow a root crop, such as
potatoes, turnips or beets. 1t may do
to follow corn, but never to follow
oats. If we follow oats with it, the
rust and sun-scald will render it use
less. But kainit applied literally
broadcast say six hundred pounds or
more per acre, before planting-is in
variably a preventive of rust, smut or
even Sun-scald This kainit has to be
worked into the soil in a thorough
manner, either by harrow or cultiva-
tor. Now should the season happen
to be a dry one, this kainit keeps the
soil in a moist and friable condition,
and the crop keeps on growing during
the severest drought. 1t is also advis-
able to apply not less than four hun
dred pounds of acid phosphate and
two hundred pounds of cotton seed
meal in the hill, and mixed we'll with
the soil at time of planting. If The
land is fortified in this way, and the
crop we'll attended to, we may reason
ably expect sixty to seventy bushels
of grain per acre, and at least two
cuttings and perhaps three of fodder,
far superior in quality to corn fodder.
Before | found out Kaffir corn, l
used to grow quite a lot of Indian
corn for fodder only, by sowing thick
in the drill and cutting it as it got
to show the first tassel, by running it
through the feed cutter, cutting it in
quarter inch lengths, and mixing it in
this form among the middlingS, bran
and cotton seed meal for my milk
COWS, had a very good feed, but since
| have been using Kaffir corn instead
| find a great Improvement in the milk
flow.
II we plant tnekaffir corn in this
section about the middle of March we
can reaSU naJ4y expect TO be able to
cut it for gree feed by the middle Of
May. 1t u-4Aero materially from the
millct family, III that it does not tiller
frO1l the roots, but sends out suckers
from the first joint, when it is cut,
and the Oftener we cut it the more it
stools and increases in bulk, providing
Of course, the soil is rich enough to do
so and cultivation kept up. 1t cures
into excellent fodder, and cured or
green stock of all kind are very fond
Of it, and it retains it's sweetness and
natural aroma longer than even we'll
cured hay.
There is one popularity about it, in
that if it is heavily fortified with nj
trOgen, it gets coarse and woody, and
the grain will be light and not we'll
filled out, but if we use plenty of pot
ash and a liberal quantity Of phOs
phOric acid it will prevent all that,
and make good we'll filled out grain.
If was compelled to use a made up
fertilizer, | would want for this crop
10 to 10 per cent. potash, to 10 phOs-
phOric acid and 4 to nitrogen. i
would apply of this, all that [ would
think the soil could conveniently util,
ize to advantage, taking into consider,
alton its physical condition, and at
the first cutting repeat the dose, and
then | would make sure Of getting a
good return for money invested in fer
tiliZerS. There are TWO kinds of this
cOrn-a red and a white. | much pre-
fer the red. 1t does not grow as tall
as the white variety, but yields bet
ter but be it red or white that we
grow, let us not forget to potash the
soil we'll and then wo will oct salts.