Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-06-06
LA|[ PLANTED CROPS
Experiment Station at Ames
Issues Bulletin Of Great In
terest to Farmers
CROPS THAT MATURE QUICKLY
Valuable Hints on Forage and Other
Crops That May Take the Place of
Corn,Where Floods viii Not Permit
of Planting Corn in Time to Insure
Matured Product.
to Times-Republican.
Matured Product.

Special to Times Republican.
Ames. June 6.-The department OF
agronomy at the State College expert.
ment station has just issued "a timely
bulletin on Late Crops and Forage
Plants" The bulletin has been pre-
Jared by p. G. Holden, professor of ag-
ronomy, and w. II. Olin, assistant In
farm crops. The bulletin is of especial
interest to farmers in view of the in
ability of many to get corn planted in
time to insure a matured crop. The
bulletin follows:
Unprecedented rains have prevented
many farmers IN Iowa from preparing
and planting all their land intended for
ruined the growing crop. 1t will be the
middle of June before many can work
their land and the experiment station
has had many inquiries about late crops
to utilize the land.
If possible TO obtain the seed a
ninety-day corn, like Farmers Reli-
ance,. Pride of the North or Early
Longfellow Dent, can be planted as late
as June 20, with reasonable assurance
of reaching maturity before the close OF
the growing season. Nothing can fully
take the place of corn.
Where farmers can not obtain these
early maturing varieties of corn, we
wish to call their attention to the fol-
lowing forage crops that can be ma
tured in the growing season that yet
remains.
CORN HAY.
For corn hay for this season, select
the earliest maturing variety of corn
you can obtain in your locality. 1t can
be sown broadcast, planted or drilled.
Plant the hills as closely together as
you can with your corn planter, or If
you use corn drill place in drill rows
thirty-siX to forty-two inches apart and
kernels two to four inches apart in the
rows, using from twenty TO twenty five
pounds of seed to the acre. For rough
age this corn hay is most excellent and
1t will probably give more rough feed
Of good quality per acre than we can
now hope to get in any other way this
late in the season.
BY using corn harvester the crop
is harvested quite easily. If sowed very
thick a grain binder can often be used.
Corn can not be readily or easily cured
4 moved and harvested as we do hay.
When bound and placed in shocks that
ire not too large it usually cures out
lutte we'll.
SWEET CORN FOR FODDER.
BY planting sweet corn in rows SINH
ar to the plan just mentioned or drill
ng in rows twenty-four to thirty inches
apart, very fine quality of fodder can
De obtained which is greatly relished by
all kinds Of farm stock. Stowell's Ever
green has, in the few experiments tried,
yielded the largest amount of forage per
lcre. There are earlier maturing va
rieties such as Peep O-Day and Coun-
" Gentlemen that may he preferred.
even tho they have lower per cent of
foliage, and give lighter yield.
SORGHUM.
Sorghum is well known to Iowa
farmers as a forage crop. The Ears.
Amber, especially the Minnesota Early
Amber variety, has proven quick ma
turing and is the one hest adapted for
this years planting.
If the ground is in good, clean condi-
ton now, the seed can be sown broad
cast. 1t may also be drilled in with a
grain drill, the same as wheat. planted
With q one-horse drill or two-horse
corn planter with drill plates Careneeds
TO be taken to prevent a coarse growth
and thick seeding tends to prevent this.
in IN, ~
half feet apart. fifteen to sixteen
pounds; broadcasted or with grain drill
twenty-five TO twenty-five pounds of
seed per scre.
Sorghum can be harvested in many
ways. II planted in rows three to three
md one-half feet apart 1t may be cut
.ith corn binder and shocked. When
or drilled in close rows, If
'Ot too coarse, il is otter cut with a
mower, cured and stacked as hay, or
IAN be left in small cocks in the field
With little or no danger of its spelling
10 matter what the weather is and can
,e left in the field and fed as wanted.
This is one of the great advantages
If this forage, as it car he preserved in
he field as no other forage crop can be,
md wherl hauled to stock in winter Is
,aten with great relish.
Professor Connell OF Texas. recon-
nends the following method of curing
sorghum for hay: after moving. allow
he sorghum to lie Upon the ground
efficiently long to dry out at the ends
# the blades. If the crop is thick, ii
should be. turned over upon the ground
o expose the bottom portion of the
49,
tally one to three or 'eur days sun is
'equired to dry it ST fficiently to put
t in the cock These hay cocks may
BE five feet high and four feet in di-
lmefer, Of the shape of an old fash
oned bee hive. All the hay that is put
lp in this manner should be we'll set
led as ii is laid on the pile.
After having constructed it to the
proper height, rake the loose sorghum
way from the sides leaving nea.
,ile Of sorghum hay that will turn
water in case it should rain. Allow it |
@ remain in this shape for two or three
lays. for fermentation to take place. |
which is evidenced by the heating |
md the deposit of dew upon the inter-
or parts of the cock When thorough
y warm and before the hay loses its
latuiai color, open the cock and ex-
rose the hay to four Or six. hours sun.
according to the weight of the crop to
he acre and the size of the cock Then
he hay is ready to be hauled to the
,arn or to be placed in stacks, where
t may safely be expected to remain
without moulding or heating seriously.
f the season should be rainy, it will
axe longer than this 10 nronerlY cure [