The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1900-07-06
SORGHUM FOR HAY.
when and How to SOw-YIeIds Enozs
mouAIy-Dimcult to Cure.

When and How to SOw-Yields En0<s
mousIy-Dimoult to Cure.
Sorghum natures in much shorter
period than does Indian corn, requlr-
ing growing season Of from so to
100 days. l have no doubt that it
would make a good crop on any good
farm land in the state of New York
I have sown 1t as late as June II, and
It matured before frost AS 1t is a
warm weather crop it Is never advisa-
bic to sow it until the weather has be-
come warm and settled and the ground
thoroughly warm, as it then will come
up quickly and grow rapidly and en-
able one to keep 1t free from weeds
with much less labor. The record
which l kept Of the crop referred to,
which was sown June II, shows that
It was six inches high in 30 days after
sowing, but In 60 days It was six feet
high.
The quantity Of seed required and
the method of sowing depend on the
use which is to be made of the crop.
When grown for summer feeding. TO be
cut to feed the cattle on pasture in
case of drought and especially to feed
to hogs during the late summer and
early fall, much prefer to drill It in
rows wide enough apart to use the
horse and cult1vator. from 8 to 81A feet,
10 that there will be from ave to eight
stalks to the foot Of drill. but as 1t is
rather more convenient both TO cult
vAte and to cut the hills may be drop
ped 20 inches apart, with 10 or II stalks
to the hill. Planted In this way, It de-
velops large stalks and q great deal OF
naccharine matter and is easily and
quickly cut by hand or can be cut with
the moving machine II many animals
are to be fed, and six or eight pounds
Of seed planted TO an acre.
When sown for hay, no cultivation is
given, and II is either drilled with a
wheat drill, using all tho hoes. or Sown
broadcast. have now grown the crop
Cor eight years and at nrst used one
bushel Of seed to the acre when sown
for this purpose, but found in seasons
Of rapid growth that It was too coarse
% be easily handled and now SOW
nearly two bushels to the acre. Sown
In this way, II can be raked with
the horse rake, loaded like hay and un
loaded with the horse fork In the barn
The yield 10 enormous in favorable sea
sons, often exceeding eight tons to the
acre, cured.
A friend Of mine in 1899 cured sin
gio acre on which he had sown II.
bushels OF seed In q season almost des-
titute Of rain. which produced between
eight and ten tons Of feed. When he
came In February to get seed for this
springs sowing, he told me that 1t FED
20 head of cattle for six weeks, but
added that he should SOW two bushel:
Of seed to the acre this year in order t
grow a finer quality Of hay. Wher
sown in this way, 1t produces stalk
about the size Of lead pencil, al
though some of them will be about tn,
thickness of ones little finger, and OF
thin land grows about Ave feet higl
044A 10 hOh " lOdkC. II IL OOcSg
Ia necessary to cut but one way, run
ming the sickle under the leaning plant
and driving back with the team with
out cutting.
1t requires very much more curin
than the ordinary grasses, and as it 1
cut late, when the power of the sun
not SO great as during the ordinar
haying season, we allow 1t to lie In tn
swath from 10 to 20 days. dependin
somewhat upon the state Of the weatl
o.. Then 1t is forked up and put l
large cocks running from 300 to 30
! pounds each and allowed to stand oil
until November, when It ia ready Il
The barn, says Waldo r. Brown 1
Country Gentleman.