Imperial press and farmer., 1901-12-07
No. 34.

! VI, that germination may take place at once. Moreover, the young sorghum plant grows slowly If the weather is cold and weeds are likely to become troublesome. On the other hand, if the soil is warm and free from weeds to start with, the sorghum will keep ahead of the weeds and cultivation will be much easier.
 AS a rule. the best forage is ob- tained by sowing the seed broadcast or with press drill, such as is used in planting small gran. Tn the West and Southwest the latter method is preferred, as the cane stands up bet ter and Is not SO likely to suffer from drought. On some soils, particularly in some parts of the East and South, better results are obtained by drop ping or drilling the seed in rows far enough apart to allow an occasional stirring with one or two horse culti vators. This Is also a good method to follow for cane to be fed early in pre- pairing hogs for market, or as a soil ing crop for stock in pasture. The plants grow too coarse for dry for age, however, and for general pur- poses broadcasting and seeding with press drills will give better satisfac- tion.
 The lister has been used with good results and in some instances Tn the West, but the practice Is hardly to be recommended because of the often slow growth of the young cane al- ready mentioned and because of lia- bility of the plants being washed out of the furrows by heavy rains.
 Some farmers report good results by sowing the seed broadcast on un- prepared land and blowing it under, while others condemn this method of seeding. Covering the seed with disk harrow seems to be more suc- cessful. especially in loose, sandy soils.
 Many farmers mix corn, millet and various kinds of peas or beans with the sorghum, and in this way secure a better quality of forage. The sow ing of lagumes with sorghum Is an excellent practice. The large amount of muscle-making substances in the lagumes, together with the sugar and other fat-forming clements in the cane. affords a much more evenly balanced ration than either of the plants would make alone. Moreover, the lagumes will do much to replace whatever nitrogen the sorghum may take from me soil.
 Quantity of Seed Per Acre.-Sor- ghum should always be sown much thicker when sown for forage than when it is to be used in the manu- facture of sugar or molasses. The amount of seed needed per acre will vary somewhat according to the kind of forage desired, the method Of planting to be followed, and the char acter of the soil. The practice varies greatly in different parts of the coun- try. ranging from one-half bushel to three bushels per acre, broadcast or drilled Under ordinary conditions one and one-half to two bushels (45 to so pounds) will be sufficient when sown broadcast, and a somewhat less amount will suffice when planted with a press drill.
 If the cane Is intended for a sum- mer pasture. little more seed may be used. If peas or like crops are sown with sorghum, three pecks to one bushel of each will be ample. When planted in hills or drills for cultivation with hoe and blow. the seed should also be planted more tIlickly than when grown for the manufacture of sugar or molasses, otherwise the cane Is likely to be too large to be easily handled. and stock will not eat 1t up clean. In many nIaca, in Soufh Ona 0aadfnQ Ia