The Glenwood post., 1908-07-18
FOR FARMERS WHOSE EARLY
CROPS HAVE PROVED
FAILURES.
NOT YET TOO LATE
rURNIPS, MI;.LET, RAPE, SoR-
GHUM, FLINT CORN, BEANS
AND BUckWHEAT.
(By w. H. Olin of the Colorado Agri-
cultural College.)

cultural College.)
So many farmers are writing or tele-
phoning the writer about what can be
planted on grain ground where spring
grain failed, beet ground where crop
was taken by the worms and various
other causes of failure of seeded
spring crops that it would seem desir-
able to send out a circular letter to the
press of the state giving suggestions
along this line, trusting it may be
helpful to some who are at a loss to
know how they may still, this season,
make the ground produce some kind
| of crop.
| 1. 1t is really too late to expect
satisfactory money crop. The best
thing to do is to plan for some feed
crop which can be utilized on the
home farm or disposed of in the neigh
borhood. 1t is now too late for any
grain crop, beet crop or potato crop
(July 1sD.
2. Clean the ground to be seeded
of weeds by such tillage methods as
seem most effective and which can be
quickly and easily done. Do not take
time to plow if it can possibly be
avoided.
8. If ground be dry, as it probably
Is in most sections, frrigate well be-
fore you begin seed bed preparations.
This will insure seed coming up
quickly and give rapid growth from
the start.
a. The writer believes the follow
ing crops can be sufficiently matured
for good feed or forage crops before
our usual late September frosts. The
lateness of the season would seem to
| rauuira baayiar CpndjDy in soma in
stances, although condition of ground
and manner of seeding must largely
govern rate of seeding
A. Purple or Flat Top Turnips.
The writer has matured this crop
seeded as late as July 25th. in the
Fort Collins district. Use four to eight
pounds per acre. 1t is too late in the
season to safely seed any other stock
root known to the writer.
B. Milet. This is an annual hay
grass which should yield one or two
tons per acre of rich feed for cattle. or
sheep-not desirable for horse feed.
German or Golden millet yields more
hay than the common or Hungarian
millet on the same area of ground.
When sown broadcast at this season
Suggest twenty-five to thirty pounds
per acre Seeded with drill, twenty
to twenty-five pounds per acre.
C. Rape. This is a succulent for
age crop best adapted as green feed
for hogs. The plants have cabbage
like leaves. with cabbage flavor and
well filed with sap. Turn in the hogs
when the plants are ten 10 fourteen
inches high, or about six to eight
weeks after growth begins. 1t fur
nishes a wealth of green feed for hogs,
but is likely to bloat sheep. Use the
Dwarf Esse rape. seeding broadcast
eight to ten pounds per acre; drilled,
six to eight pounds per acre.
d. Early Amber Sorghum. While
it is late to mature sorghum for sap,
yet more forage to the acre can be
grown by this crop than any other
feed crop known to the writer. When
seeded broadcast it can be cut and
handled same as coarse hay, since the
stalks sown in this way do not grow
large. If seeded with drill at this
season of the year, the writer sug-
gests stopping up every other hole.
placing the rows about fourteen
inches apart. Some farmers make use
of the beet drill in seeding this crop,
shutting down the plate or using some
fux as bran, dust, etc, to prevent too
rapid seeding. The writer suggests
twenty to twenty-five pounds for
broadcast seeding; fifteen to twenty
pounds for drilling.
E. An Early Flint Corn seeded
quite thickly in rows and not more
than thirty inches apart for forage.
The very earliest tried at the Station
Of Colorado is State of Maine Flint.
1t suckers well in our climate and.
therefore, is an ideal forage crop. This
cannot be obtained here and any flint
corn obtainable can be used. Do not
use dent corn.
2. Buckwheat. This is quick ma
turing crop, and where market can be
obtained for the grain, is fairly re-
munerative. But there are many diff
ficulties in the way of lack of mills
and trouble in shipping. 1t should not
be sowed later than July 18th to Goth
3. In case you feel you cannot make
use of any Of the aforementioned
crops, keep down weed growth by cul-
tivating the land and seed to fall wheat
the last of September or early part OF
October. Give the ground good thor
ough irrigation just before seeding and
you will get good fall growth, start
ing the grain into the winter in prom
Using condition.
4. In case you cannot use fall
wheat in your rotation and do moi
wish any of above late crops, summer
culture your land, getting it in clean
condition for beets next year.