The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1906-02-16
EVERY PHASE OF FARMING ABLY TREATED

ing the entire institute. He said the
day of unlimited prairie hay had pas
Sed and we are up to the question
What shall we raise? In answering
this the first forage crop that likely
suggests itself is alfalfa which must
stand first, as the greatest, the most
profitable product grown on our soil.
Land that will grow alfalfa is worth
500 per acre. A ton of alfalfa, pound
for pound, is just as valuable as a ton
of bran. A ton of bran is worth SIG,
and an acre of alfalfa will yield an
average of three tons per acre per
year. It will do it year after
year with nothing to do with it but
harvest it. He drew out the fact that
Captain Jacobs of Columbia and Thos.
Chalcraft of Henry township had
been successful in getting it started,
the former in the Big Slough bottom
and the latter on the Jim river bot
tom. On inquiry Captain Jacobs said
he prepared the ground and waited
for a rain before sowing it. He sowed
it by hand letting the rain cover it.
Mr.. Chalcraft said he sowed his in the
rain but narrowed it afterwards. MI.
Chamberlain expressed surprise at a
good stand being secured with so light
covering. He said that down in
Miner county where he lived they
consider that the secret of getting
alfalfa started we'll was put it in deep,
a disk being frequently used to cover
it with in cases where it is sown on
too smooth a surface. Should not be
pastured the first year but should be
mown frequently with cutter bar set
high. Mr.. French said that Mr.. Clark,
"a North Dakota farmer, had been
successfully growing alfalfa for Is
years on the high, dry prairie near
Jamestown. Mr.. Clark cuts second
crop for seed and threshes with a COM
mon separator. As to time of SOW
ing it was agreed that it should be put
in when the ground gets warm. Mr..
Chalcraft had own his April 25th.
Mr.. Warner said alfalfa is destined
to re%yolutionize farming in this state.
Inquiry was made by Mr.. Chamber
lain as to success with red clover.
Mr.. Ch%aleraft's experience with it was
that he got a good stand but that it
froze out. All experiments here had
been unsuccessful but none had been
made recently. MI. Chamberlain said
that red clover experiments made in
recent years were successful in other
parts Of the state and that he believ-
ed the time had about arrived for sue
cessful clover growing here.
Mr.. Chamberlain then inquired if
anyone here had ever tried sorghum.
Andrew Brooks of Mansfield said he
had tried three or four acres of it.
Sowed it with drill. 1t grew about
i've feet high. He moved it and after
it lay about four days raked it UP and
cooked it, putting it into stacks later
Found it splendid feed for mich COWS
Mr.. Chamberlain said there was nc
fodder that could compare with sor.
ghum in feeding value. Mr.. Brooks
had sown his too thick, the sunshine
should get into it to put the sugal
into the sap. 1t should be drilled
with a corn planter a trifle thicke
than corn. Plates should be made es
pecially for it with holes drilled i,
them about the size of a lead pencil
1t will grow sometimes twelve fee
high. When the seed on it begins t.
get hard it should be cut with a cor
binder, making very small sheaves
II the ground is dry let them lie OF
the ground to dry out, but if mois
they must be set up in open shocks t
dry out. 1t is certainly difficult t
cure and requires careful attention
II it gets nipped with the frost let n
stock eat it as it becomes deadly pois
onous when struck by frost. Yet, not
w%ithstanding the trouble of curin
and danger when frosted, it is tn
most valuable fodder grown. Whe
fed to hogs everything disappeared
nothing remaining but cuds droppe
around.
; MI. Chamberlain, continuing on til
fodder topic, said that it is figure
that one-ffth of the value of the cor
crop is in the stalk. How are 70
utilizing that fifth? was his question
His inquiry as to what extent shred
ding is being done brought out som
responses. Mr.. Wenz of Bath sal
that a frequent objection to shreddin
was that it is expensive. Mr.. Brook
: said it was expensive, but that it pal