The Jasper news., 1901-07-26
GROW FORAGE THIS FALL.
DEAN or AGRICULTURAL COL
LE0E TALKS.
Helpful Suggestions for Farmers
Who Want 20 Hold Their
Stock.


CoLUMBIA, Mo, July 10. AS re-
sponse to hundreds OF letters received
from farmers requesting advice and in
formation, Dr. II. J. Waters, dean OF
the Missouri Agricultural college and
experiment station, has sent out the fol-
lowing statement:
Owing to the unprecedented drought
and excessive heat, the supply of stock
food Of all classes in all portions OF the
state will be much below the average,
and in NEST sections will be very scarce
and expensive. Already a large amount
'of the surplus stock has been thrown on
the market, 80 that less feed will be re-
quired than in the average year. At the
same time, every indication points to a
great shortage in cattle, hogs, sheep,
horses and mules next spring, and to
the fact thai abnormally high prices
will then prevail.
II will he very profitable, therefore,
for the farmer to carry over as much
stock as possible, and to take that
through the winter 10 good thrifty con
dition. Ii is scarcely necessary to say
that only the tirst-class stock can be
prohtably wintered this time. II the
supply OF good stoc.; is below that
which can he wintered, it will be
the best possible investment to sell off
the inferior stock and buy we'll bred an
imals Of good quality. Such an oppor
tunity 10 buy good stock at low figures
does not come often.
The supply of feed can be largely in
creased by growing one or more forage
crops which can be made to mature be-
tween now aud frost, provided an aver
age rainfall occul. from now on. Among
the crops that may be sown now with Il
reasonable assurance Of fair crop, the
following are suggested:
The cowpea, if sown at once on well
prepared land, wheat or oat stubble that
is broken, ought to make one or two
tons of hay that excels clover in feeding
value. This hay can be gotten off the
around in time to SOW the land in wheat
without another breaking, the surface
being disked just ahead Of the drill.
Cowpeas improve the Land, just rs clover
does, and make II splendid preparation
for wheat. The Whippoorwill or New
Era varieties are recommended, sown at
the ratio Of bushel per acre, either
broadcast or, preferably, with u wheat
drill. The hay is cured and handled
about the same as clover. Cowpeas
stand the heat aud drouth well.
Sarghum is another drouth and heat
resisting crop, very productive, and will
mature before frost II sown now on well
pre- ared land at the rate OF about a
bushel Of seed to the acre. The Early
Amber variety is preferred for this late
sowing. The hay may be partially cured
in the swath, and then made into large
shocks to complete the curing process,
and stacked later. Unfortunately, the
supply of sorghum and cowpea seed is
almost exhausted in our markets, owing
10 the large recent demand.
( Kaffir corn is closely related to sor'
ghum, and may be grown and handled
in essentially the same way, with almost
us satisfactory results, although IL is not
regarded as quito s. good hay plant.
The markets still have fair supply oi
I this seed.
Mllet may be used quite successfully
and will stand considerable drouth and
much heat. The farmers of Missouri
are too familiar with this crop to need
any advice concerning the methods OF
growing and harvesting it.
Brown dourha, a plant closely related
to sorghum aud Katiir corn, somewhat
extensively used in the dry portions oi
Kansa sas, may be used IL the seed Of tht
others mentioned cannot bn gotten. II
is not considered to be- quite 50 Produc
tive and satisfactory, however.
i This about exhausts the range ot
profitable hay crops for Late sowing
, Crimson clover does not succeed we'll il
this climate as a rule, and does not re
sist drouth,
Rape has been grown successfully fol