The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1899-05-31
The Care of Cattle and Raising of
Sorghum.
Sorghum.


a loss. 1 care not how much feed that
animal may have it will take it all and
even more to counteract the force of the
weather. 1t would be better had this ami
NAL, or those animals, as the case may
be- been sold before the winter came on
for just what they would bring, and this
care and feed applied to Those that could
be afforded shelter at least A great many
of our Southern people have not yet
learned that a few stock we'll kept will
return more dollars when market time
comes than twice the amount cared for as
above mentioned.
Our grazing season here lasts from May
until October. The remaining six months,
if stock even hold their own. must have
shelter and some feed more than the pas
ture will furnish. Stock left to roam the
woods in search of their living during the
remaining six months, to take the fire.
quent storms that come to this latitude,
will lose at least One-half of the grain
made during the previous summer. Thus
it is that out of the twelve months only
three have been gained in actual growth
to the ANIMAL while if housed in a good,
tight barn, where the bleak north wind
with it's Sitting snow cannot penetrate,
and with "a small amount of feed, the
animal can at least be made to hold it's
own, or, in other words, be carried to
the grazing season in as good condition
as when taken from the grass the fall
before. But let's not be content with just
half the year, when just little more
feed, that can he made so cheaply from
in way of sorghum, peavine hay and corn,
will enable us to sustain a growth of
three months of the six, if not the whole
time.
The droppings from the housed stock, if
properly applied to the soil, will almost
pay the feed bill, if not quite. Now to
sum the whole matter up, we have
gain of nine or twelve CD months over
the fellow who takes care of stock
only for the small cost of building a barn,
which the excess of profit in one year on
the stock until kept on a hundred acre
farm will furnish over those left to care
for themselves.
If Brother Edgar will move down here
and try one crop of sorghum after the
manner he directs the inquiring brother,
he will at once decide that no stereotyped
rule will apply to making hay of sorghum.
Difference i'm soil and climate has great
deal to do with it. First, on our soil 1t
will almost invariably bed down. The
few instances where it stands, the small
stalks are bleached white full half the
length, caused from being grown where
the suns rays could NOT reach. thus con-
tanning but little sugar or flesh produc-
ing qualities. Now for the curing, which
/ have never been able to do satisfac-
torily, and if housed or stacks, unless we'll
cured will rot or mold so badly that
stock don't like it.
The plan that is universally adopted
among our farmers who make sorghum
for stock feed is to plant in drills two or
three feet wide, using a one-horse plant
er, with a plate made for that purpose.
The plate contains a number of small
holes, through which the seed falls. If
less seed is wanted, the holes can be
plugged until the desired quantity will go
the more the better, if the proper tools
are used When heads begin to form in
the boot cultivation may stop. When
seed is ripe it is then ready to be put
into the shock, which requires three hands
if the work is to be carried on smoothly
and rapidly. One hand is to be armed
with good strong briar scythe, the 9TH
ers to gather in arms what they can con-
veniently reach, and when cut off, while