St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1905-07-15
FARMER AND PLANTER.
CROPS FOR THE SOIL.
Notable Conclusions of Several
Years Tests at the Tennessee
Experiment Station.

Experiment Station.
In notable bulletin just received
the Tennessee experiment station de-
scribes its experiments of several
years duration and sets forth the fol-
lowing conclusions:
/. Silage can be utilized to advan-
tage in every section of the country on
account Of the variety of crops from
which it can be made and because it
is an excellent substitute for grass in
the winter or summer feeding of farm
live stock.
2. Silage increases the carrying ca
pacity of the land. Ordinarily from
two to three acres of blue grass are
required to carry 1,00O-pound steer
for six months when gaining from 300
to 400 pounds. Four SO0-pound steers
were fed for $50 days on the product
of less than an acre of land in the
form of silage and gained 1856 pounds
during that period.
3. Silage may be made from a great
variety of crops, as corn, sorghum,
cowpeas, soy beans, teosinte, Kafir
corn, and clover; but the first two are
by far the most valuable.
4. AS fine a quality of silage can be
made from sorghum as from any other
crop, and there seems to be little diff
ference between the feeding values of
sorghum and corn silage for beef pro-
duction.
5. Farmers who experience diff
Guilty in making good silage either cut
the crops too green or else have inn
properly constructed silos.
6. The average cost of ton OF
silage from sorghum was $1.41; from
corn, 81; from co-1 and sorghum, $1.6S,
ard from soy beans, S2.S3.
Z. The yield Of silage varies con-
siderably with the distance of plant
ing. Close planting gives the largest
yield, but tends to produce weak
stalk, which makes the crop difficult
to cultivate and harvest. Three feet
is probably the most desirable dis
stance to plant sorghum. II planted
more than three feet apart the yield
will be decreased; whereas, if planted
in two-foot rows, the cost of cultiva-
ton will be greater.
8. The cost of growing an acre of
sorghum silage was $19.48; Of corn,
s14.92; corn and sorghum, 1914; soy
beans, $3.50. &
9. Cookies prolific and Virginia
ensilage are good varieties Of corn to
use for silage purposes, and will make
the largest yields when planted in
three-foot rows. These varieties re-
CURED on an average 108 days to ma
ture, and produced us tons per acre
at cost of 1921 per ton. Corn silage
may be produced in favorable year
for about $3.50 per ton, and in an un-
favorable year for about 81 per ton.
10. One of the best varities OF sor-
ghum for silage purposes Is Red Head.
This is a stout variety, and does not
grow quite so tall as some others, but
stands up we'll. Eight pounds will
plant an acre. The crop will mature
in about 113 days.
II. Sorghum planted as a second
CROP will not yield more than eight
to ten tons per acre, whereas, 1t plant
ed as a first crop it will yield from
twelve to twenty tons per acre. The
lowest cost per ton from first crop
was $1.15, and the highest $1.7S; from
second crop the cost was about $2.oO.
IL. Red Head sorghum and Vir-
ginia, Ensilage corn can be combined
satisfactorily for the production OF
silage. They are best grown in three
foot rows. The crop required Ia days
to mature, and gave an average yield
of 1914 tons, at a cost Of $1.85. The
lowest cost was SILL and the highest
81. O8. Combining these crops makes
better quality Of silage, increases the
yield and reduces the cost per ton as
compared with corn alone.
13. Corn and sorghum both contain
an excess of carbohydrates, and are
deficient in protein. To correct this
difficulty, and balance the. nutrients,
cowpeas and other leguminous crops
we're grown with them. The peas were
planted in the rows with the corn and
sorghum, and while casual inspection
of the crop would indicate that large
per cent. of peas was obtained, a care
full separation Of the peas from the
corn or sorghum shows that in no In
stance was there more than 15.1 per
| cert. of peas in the crop, and In some
instances only to per cent; SO
small percentage as to have no mate
rial influence on the composition and
feeding value of silage. Corn and
sorghum can be combined SO that the
| resulting silage will consist Of about
equal percentages of each crop.
"a. The Mammoth Yellow soy beans
have been made into silage for two
| wears. The average yield was rs ton.
Ahout a half bushel of seed should be
used per acre, and the crop will re-
| ouire 1873 days to mature. The cost
Of a ton of silage was $3.50. It was
black. strong in odor and not palata-
BILE to cattle. Our experience does not
favor the making Of silage from soy
beans alone. If the crop can be salts
factorily mixed with corn or sorghum
If would make an excellent quality OF
| silage. The difficulty is to mix it eco
| nomically.
Is. Heavy applications of fertilizers
increased the cost Of the crop, and IN
| some instances did not produce large
enough yield in proportion to make
them profitable. A small application
Of phosphate and potash each year
will be more profitable than large ap-
plications made at longer Intervals.
1e. An application Of from 100 to
$50 pounds of high-grade acid phos-
phate and from Is to so pounds OF
| norriata Of notash will often prove