Lewiston evening teller. (Lewiston, Idaho) 1900-1900, 1900-08-30
SUCCESSFUL FORAGE PLANTS
The Farmers Congress Listened to an To-
teresting Discussion Of the Question OF


The sessions of the National Farmers
Congress today were marked with more
than ordinary interest and took wide
| range. The morning session opened
with the reading of paper by Baror
Herman, agricultural attache of the Ger
man legation at Washington, on 1.-THE
Common Interest of Farmers Over the
World" +. ID Coburn, secretary of ag
riculture of Kansas, followed Baron Her
man with an interesting paper on "Agri
culture Requirements in the West" Sec
rotary Coburn spoke in part as follows
"a tremendous detriment to the estab
lishment and maintenance of success
full agriculture over wide areas of the
trans Missouri region, or the central ives,
has been lack of knowledge as to VIVA,
growths were adapted to the seasons, the
climate, the attitudes and the soils; also
an adherence to crops and methods, per.
haps most excellent elsewhere, but UNI
der conditions as different from those
here as day is from night. Within the
past ten years there have been introduced
into the agriculture of the region men,
toned at least three forage plants two OF
them grain plants also) which are likely
to change the situation to wonderful
degree, and open vast possibilities to
those who coming after us would possess
and acquire competence from soils
which, persistently misunderstood, were
unyielding.
They are Kafir-corn, alfalfa and soy
bean, trio doing much to revolutionize
mid.continental agriculture and doubt
less destined to transform large areas in
this region, now affording at best but
meagre pasturage, into prosperous COM
munities of farmers and stock growers,
where live stock will not simply be
reared for the eastern fattening lots, as
they now are, but where they will be ac-
tnally fattened for slaughter for exacting
markets.
"kafir-corn yields best on rich lands,
and responds well to generous treatment.
Its culture, however. is not limited TO
soils of highest fertility. 1t is grown on
stiff clays and on light lands; on river
bottoms and on poor up lands, and will
yield profitable returns on soils too poor
for corn. Indian corn being so univer-
sally known as the great grain food, the
value of Kafr-corn could not be more
clearly expressed than by comparison.
Experiments show that bushel for bushel,
Katir-corn does not have the feeding
value of Indian corn, when either is food
alone, but when some balancing food like
alfalfa or soy bean meal is fed in addi-
ton the discrepancy is at once made
good. This fact, together with the diff
ference in yield, leaves the Kafir.corn
with decidedly high rank.
"Alfalfa is inestimable to this or any
other section or country where it can be
grown as pasture or soiling crop, or as
cured hay. This perennial legume, with
long penetrating roots reaching too great
depths has thereby unusual powers of re-
sistance to protracted dry weather, and
well adapted to the conditions existing
westward from the Missouri. While
the ideal situations for the best
growth and yield of this plant
are most commonly found in the
valleys or streams, or under irrigation,
experience demonstrates that it can be
grown proftably on a much higher land.
Possessing most, if not all, the good
qualities of the much-prized red clover,
besides others, some of which are its
growing luxuriantly in wide territory
where clover can not be grown at all and
yielding from two to three times as much
of feed equally nutritious, along with be-
ing remarkable soil renovator, it is, in.
deed, wonderful acquisition to region
where it flourishes so abundantly.
"Of the three plants mentioned the
soy bean is the latest introduced, the
least known, and for that reason only,
the least appreciated. 1t is very rich in
fat and matchmaking materials. In
feeding soy beansto mich cows, fatten.
ing cattle and hogs, they have given as
tonishing results, The soy bean responds
readily to good soil and plenty of moist
ure, but will thrive and produce good
crop on land too poor, or in season too
dry, for ordinary crops, and is not mo-
Tested by chinch bugs. The quantity of
forage produced by soy beans will, of
course, vary widely, according to the
conditions under which the crop is
grown; as much as II or Is tons of fresh