Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1899-05-05
agricultural.
Sorghum VS.. Corn and Clover.

In planting the crops We are to grow
this season for feeding on the farm it is
not enough to know that the plant grow n
will make feed acceptable to the stock
Thanks to the students of food values
and to the station tests of feeds we are
not left to hearsay or even to the verdict
of the animals relish for the feed II
the latter is our test then we find that
corn is the universal favorite Of our ami
mails ann our poultry; but experience
and science has taught US that this is
not a complete ration, hence we need to
supplement it with other feeds.
We have met some enthusiasts who
are advising all farmers to grow sorg.
hum, claiming that it is so excellent a
ration that cattle, sheep and even hogs
and poultry need no other feed One
who has written much in Ohio claims it
is superior to corn, that more feed per
acre can be grown of it, and that even
his hogs, and especially brood sows, cal
it up clean and there is practically nc
waste, as the rejected parts left by hogs
make the best Of bedding and absorbents.
We have raised sorghum for five years
and find it valuable feed, as it is easily
grown and readily eaten by stock 1t
affords variety, and as it withstands
drouth furnishes succulent feed in the
fall when pastures are short. That we
can grow more feed per acre than Of
corn or that it is alone better ration
we have not found Still it has enough
feeding value in this latitude to make
it desirable to grow one acre Of it to
every twenty-five of corn if one is liable
to find shortage of his permanent pas
ture in the dry fall season. If not used
for succulent feed to supplement the
clover and bluegrass pasture it can be
converted into sorghum hay or fodder
and prove an excellent winter feed II
we'll cured and stored horses, cattle,
sheep and hogs will enjoy it for a change
from timothy and clover hay and corn
stover.
In planting crops for the season we
cannot lose sight of their cost Of produc-
ton and of their relative feeding values.
The fact that more tons of sorghum or
johnson grass can be grown to the acre
than of corn or clover does not prove
that the former are cheaper feed than
the latter. The test of feeding value of
crop depends on the relative amounts
of digestible matter, especially protein,
that it contains As the majority of
progressive farmers have learned that
good husbandry requires that they shall
feed upon the farm all grasses aud grains
grown except wheat and possibly barley
then the value of each fodder crop as a
feed becomes important. We have SO
long treated corn stover and straw as
waste by-crops that we have not been
thoughtful of the feeding value Of any
such crops. Because sorghum in the
dry or aird West is a more reliable crop
than corn or clover or blue grass does
not argue that in the Central or Eastern
States we should rush into it as superior
To our staple crops that need more mOis-
ture than sorghum. Nor does it follow
that because these grasses do so we'll
with us that We cannot pro6tably add
sorghum or Kaffir corn to our list Of
feeds have found both very satisfac-
tory aud shall continue to plant small
plants of them to help tide over the dry
season. Their ability to resist drouth
gives them special value As our ration
is corn. wheat and clover, and as We
have excellent blue grass pastures also,
we have not the need of growing sorg-
hum and Kafhr corn that those have
who grow wheat and oats more than
corn
Rating protein at four cents pound
when wheat bran is selling for $40 per
ton we have measure by which we may
fnd the feeding values of our crops just
as we find the fcrtilizing values Of ma
nures when we know the commercial
value of the phosphoric acid. nitrogen
aud potash contained in the msnures.
As our rotation furnishes us an abund-
ance of corn slower and clover hay We
think We have in these a cheaper feed
and better ration than we get from cured
sorghum. Granting that we can grow
fifteen tons of cured sorghum per acre
it contains twelve pounds Of digestible
protein per ton, an acre of it is worth
81 20 An acre Of corn producing
fifty bushels of ears-2, 500 pounds Of
stover-gives US 269 pounds OF digesti.
BILE protein worth Sl076 per acre An
acre of clover yields 5000 pounds Of
hal, which gives us $40 pounds digesti
BILE protein worth Sl3 60. Clover hay
aud corn fodder, half aud half, makes a
feeding ration superior to that Of the
best meadow hay. So by the protein
test we have in two acres of corn and
clover feed that rates with two acres o!
sorghum as 1924 SO to Sl440 It i,
clear that for winter feed we do moi
need to rush into sorghum as a substi
tute for what We already have
Still sorghum is good feed and ha.
such wonderful capacity to resist drouth
we may do well to grow enough sorghum
to tide US over the dry fall, when pas.
lures are short If the sorghum is moi
needed for green feed then by cutting
it before frost we have another variety
is most acceptable to our stock
dredsould limit this last statement aud
hsept the zero weather. We found the
asst winter that the sorghum fodder re.
tanned so much sap that it frose solid
and cattle did not relish it then as they
did clover and stover. Il N. Bonhau
in Rraa1ar'e Gayatta