The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1910-07-28
DRY FARMING CROPS
Most Popular for Forage Of Sor-
ghum Tribe Is Amber Cane.
Safest Drought Resisting Plant and
Does Well on Sod and Provides
Heavy Yield Of Good Fodder
for Dairy stock.

After the corn is all planted, there |
is still plenty Of time to start crops OF |
cane milo maize. kaflr corn or millet. |
The most popular OF the sorghum
tribe is amber cane, or plain cane, as
they call It on the plains.
1t is the safest drought resisting
crop we have; some OF my friends
who have the drying out habit tell me
II is the last thing to fire in dry sea
son, writes Il. r. Parsons, in Ranch
and Range. IL does well on sod. II
well worked up, will grow on weak,
sandy land where nothing else WILL
and provides a heavy yield of good
fodder for dairy stock.
II can be sown broadcast and cut
like hay, making fine calf feed. but
the most satisfactory way is to drill 1t
in rows about three feet apart, plant
ing from ten to twenty pounds to the
acre according to whether you wish
the stalks thick or fine. IL is relished
better by stock when the stalks are
fine. but some farmers prefer a heavy
grain tassel which necessitates thin
ner planting and a larger stalk.
The grain is mostly starch, not any
different in composition from corn,
and is supposed to increase the yield
/ Of cream more than milk. When
/ planted thicl1ly and cut young. stock
will consume stalk and ALL Cultiva.
tion is a valuable aid to the making
of a good crop, 1t will stand hard land
and poorly plowed land much better
q H.. L. sI,..,.
small and planted my time before
July, but we rather favor about the
goth of June.
For a grain crop there Is nothing
like milo maize in this line; IL can be
raised the same way as cane; II
makes fine fodder with more grain
than the former. Professor Cottrel
calls our attention to the fact that this
grain is just as good II not better than
corn for chickens and hogs. also for
stock feeding. The professor knows.
for all these feed values are accurate
ly tested and determined In the col
lege laboratories. He recommends 1t
unreservedly for the plains region.
have tested 1t on my ranch at
or make as much grain as 1t does in
the plains east of Denver Kafir corn
is also good forage plant, and can
be raised on the plains by the same
methods as cane, but the foothills are
not hot enough to promote a heavy
yield.
There are several varieties of mil
let. but the old German millet still
seems the most popular. 1t can be
planted even In the foothills country
as late as the Fourth of July. We
look on millet. however, more as 0
catch crop than anything else; il the
rains come right It makes a good crop
otherwise not 1t is easily damaged
by hail. 1t makes very rich forage
for cows and must be fed sparingly
and in conjunction with some Other
hay or fodder. II should not be
planted too thickly, % pounds to the
acre is about right on the dry farm
1t can be narrowed when about two
inches high.
The right time to cut these crops Il
a matter of much dispute among farm
ers and a table of feed value by M
agricultural chemist showing the ad
vantages of early or late harvesting Il
; not always of much value to the farm
er. for the reason that 1t usually
leaves out the most important factor
of ALL that of digestibility.
1t matters little whether in ripeninl
our crops develop. for instance. more
sugar and less starch, for they
are both the same thing-carbo-hy
drates-fat-forming foods. but 1t mat
ters great deal as the plants go OF
ripening when portion of the starcl
becomes converted into cellulose o.
: plant-fiber, for although cellulose Is iso
I meric with starch and may appear In
table of food values as carbohydrate
yet being utterly indigestible II has NJ
food value whatever. Sawdust. whicl
might be termed dry cellulose, is o
almost the same chemical composition
as corn chop, the carbon is all ther'
II we could only extract 1t in a di
gestible form. The difference is no
: in composition, but simply in th'
: transition of the atoms or ions in tn
. molecule.
: Farmers differ very much In thei
I, opinions as to when crop of any
: thing should be cut for feed. A maj
may wait a week or so to obtain III
! tie more protein in his alfalfa.
: storm may come and ruin the who'll
crop, SO that, after all, the weathe
is the principal thing to consider; bu
. with late crops the weather makes
: less difference. Rye for hay Is usual
: ly cut too late. II we try to ge; ha!
!. and grain from the same crop we ge
= neither: the same may be said o
!, compliant either for corn. one in
: hill, or for fodder. as many as yol
: like, but don't expect to raise botl
!, In one crop.