The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-06-11
Dodder in Alfalfa.

q. ~ Os Dodder fin Alfalfa.
 Replying to your recent letter rela- tive to dodder in alfalfa, l would say that while there are several methods of dealing with love vine or dodder. the one that is generally most practi- cable consists in cutting the infested spots as close as possible and week or two in advance of the moving of the entire field. As soon as the hay on these spots dries thoroughly. burn 1t in place, or still better with addi- tionaI litter heaped upon the infested spots Then if the stubble is not burn ed over the entire Infested area shave the plants off at the surface of the ground with a sharp hoe. Since dod- der may spread by pieces of the re- gently cut infested alfalfa dropped du- ring raklng. it is important to destroy the love vine before moving. or else to avoid moving the infested spots un- til after the general harvest.
 Catch Crops.
 There are always odd corhers on the farm which are not used for the gen eral crops during the whole season. and there are always times during the summer and fall when fresh feed is badly needed and very scarce, espe- cially whom one Is feeding cows and hogs. Both the farm and the stock will be much better ofY when these odd corners are made to produce a feed crop in the place of weeds. and the stock Is given fresh feed through the hot. dry months of summer and early fall.
 There are a number of crops which can be used in this way. and some. one or more, can be n ade ready for use at almost any season. For such pur- pose of course cowpeas are one of the staples. By using early-ripening va rieties like New Era" or ''Whippocr- will" crop can be made during any two months of warm weather, and by sowing the first lot early in the season. two crops can be made on the same ground during the summer. Later va- rieties. like "Unknown," can be sown on land from which oats, Irish pota- toes or other early crops have been gathered. and will make heavy crop of good forage fin September and Octo- Der. when the pastures are dry and bare.
 Sorghum grows we'll In dry weather and makes an immense amount of for age. Broadcasting the seed is the bet ter method of growing 1t for hay, but when wanted for feeding while fresh 1t pays better to plant in drills and give two or three cultivations. It Is large enough to cut for feed in about sixty days from planting. and when planted early will give from two to four. or sometimes six, cuttings du- ring the season. It is not very safe to graze cattle on sorghum late in the fall. but we have never seen a case of poisoning reported where the crop was cut and fed. Hogs may be grazed in the field with perfect safety, and will make rapid gains so long as there are any fresh stalks left in the field. Kaf- fir corn bears drought even better than sorghum, and so is more popular in the extreme West, but as the stalks are harder and less juicy than those of sor- ghum 1t is generally less valuable for green feed, though sometimes making a heavier yield when grown on very dry, hard clay soils.
 Near the Gulf coast teasinte makes a heavier growth than does any other green forage plant, and is valued very highly by dairymen, but 1t needs a very | rich soil, fair amount of moisture | and a long season to make It's best growth. It iss rarely profitable north | of Memphis. Pearl or cat-tal millet is another crop which makes a heavy yield of good forage, and many prefer 1t to sorghum. as 1t has more leaves and less woody stem. It makes a good growth much further north than | teasinte can be raised profitably. Oats make an excellent ca 'ly spring crop, and some of the many kinds of German millet can be grown at any time du- ring the summer, as the early sorts are ready for cutting within six weeks from the time the seed is sown. There are so many crops which can be used to furnish green feed during the late summer that 1t is easy to find one which will answer almost any purpose. and the planting for early feed should begin at once.-S M. Tracy in Ex- change.
 subduing Savage Stallion.