Arizona republican., 1899-08-28
IMPORTANT EXPERIMENTS
Sorghum Answers The Purpose of
Corn in Fattening Cattle.

I Mr.. Frank P. Lee, now in town, has
been engaged for more than a year in
! improving one of the most successful
| farms in the valley at Buckeye A
| $50 acre tract of land was secured
there by Harvey J. Lee, more than a
small desert in itself Frank P. Lee
painted alfalfa and sorghum on thu.
land few months later and now the
whole ranch is under cultivation. This
ranch has the reputation Of being the
quickest built up ranch in the valley.
Like the other ranches at Buckeye
there is never a shortage of water for
irrigation, and this farm affords an
example of what could be done in this
valley if liberal supply of water
could be had the year round
From the first crop of sorghum Of q
1ittlC more than sixty acres Mr.. Lee
realized over 5000. The sorghum now
maturing is SO high that one could
easily be lost in attempting to explore
the field. The alfalfa at various times
has attained a height of four OF five
feet. The lands of alfalfa are used
{ LII 1CCQlnS CdlllC anu 11IllS nay has
been cut. This ranch has been taken as
a model by many farmers of Buckeye
Some Of them had been there for ten
OF twelve years, and although they
had plenty of water and were not hin
dered in their work by drawbacks
which farmers usually complain of in
this valley, they found other things
to complain Of and made little money.
although plenty of sorghum had been
grown at Buckeye previously Mr.. Lee
was probably the first man to make
any money out of 1t.
He made an important discovery in
the matter CT feeding cattle. Sor-
ghum fattened beef are in almost
as good condition for the block as
those fed on corn The sorghum
grows from ten to fifteen feet high
and the heads which are on top of the
stalks are the valuable part Of it for
fattening cattle. When herd of cat
tie is turned into a patch of matured
sorghum, noise is made which
sounds similar to the firing of vol
legs of musketry. 1t doesn't take the
cattle great time to break the stalks
and get to the tessels, which thye find
to be more palatable than their ordin-
t.ry feed of alfalfa.
Shipments of sorghum-fed cattle
have been made to Omaha with fiat
tering results. Cattle taken from the
ranges Of this territory and sent to
Kansas City arrived there after losing
SO much weight that they were consid-
cred feeders. 1t requires a month or
two, or even greater time to fatten
hem on corn after their arrival be-
fore they are ready for the block.
The cattle sent to Omaha last year
from the sorghum feds of Buckeye
arrived in such good condition that
they were butchered Immediately.
Another argument in favor Of plant
ing sorghumis that it can be cultivated
very cheapIy. burrows are thrown up
and seed scattered, after which little
york is required. When properly ir-
lgated a large head of water is turned
Into the lands, completely submerging
chem. Particles OF dirt are washed
Into the burrows, covering the seed.
This manner of irrigation also has
the effect of leveling the lands by
the dirt from the small hills
into the depressions. Mr.. Lee says
one Of the best ways to level a piece
C land IS to grow a crop of sorghum.