The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1910-06-30
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, Their
Is still plenty of time to start crops O
cane, milo maize, kafir corn or millet
The most popular of the sorghum
tribe Is amber cane, or plain cane, a.
they call 1t on the plains.
Ii Is the safest drought resstin,
crop we have; some of my friends
who have the drying out habit tell m,
1t Is the last thing to fire in dry sea
son. writes K. r. Parsons. in Ranct
and Range. 1t does well on sod 4
well worked up, will grow on weak
sandy land where nothing else will
and provides a heavy yield of goot
fodder for dairy stock.
1t can be sown broadcast and GU,
like hay. making fine calf feed, bu,
the most satisfactory way Is to drill II
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. II Is relished
better by stock when the stalks are
hne. but some farmers prefer heavy
grain tassel which necessitates thin.
ner planting and 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 thickly and cut young, stock
Will consume stalk and all. Cultiva.
ton is valuable aid to the making
OF good crop, 1t will stand hard land
and poorly plowed land much better
than corn. 1t can be narrowed when
small and planted any time before
July, but we rather favor about the
goth of June.
For grain crop there Ia nothing
ike milo maize In this line: 1t can be
raised the same way as cane; 1t
makes fine fodder with more grain
than the former. Professor Cottrel
calls our attention to the fact that this
grain Is just as good If not better than
corn for chickens and hogs. also for
stock feeding. The professor knows,
for all these feed values are accurate
iy tested and determined in the col
lege laboratories. He recommends 1t
unreservedly for the plains region.
i have tested 1t on my ranch at
5000 feet, but 1t does not grow as tall
or make as much grain as 1t does in
the plains east of Denver. Kafir corn
Is also a 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
catch crop than anything else; IL the
rains come right 1t makes good crop.
otherwise not. 1t is easily damaged
by hail. 1t makes a very rich forage
Tor COWS and must be fed sparingly
and In conjunction with some other
hay or fodder. 1t should not be
planted too thickly, 25 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 is
matter Of much dispute among farm.
ers and o table of feed value by an
agricultural chemist showing the ad.
of early or late harvesting is
not always of much value to the farm. |
er, Tor the reason that it usually |
leaves out the most important factor |
OF all. that of digestibility.
1t matters little whether in ripening
our crops develop. for instance. more
sugar and less starch. for they
are both the same thing-carbo-h
notwithstanding foods, but it mat
ters a great deal as the plants go on
ripening when a portion of the starch
becomes converted into celulose or
for although cellulose is iso-
merle with starch and may appear In a
liable OF food values as carbohydrate.
yet being utterly indigestible 1t has no
-ood value whatever. Sawdust, which
might be termed dry celluose. Is of
almost the same chemical composition
Is corn chop, the carbon is all there
4 we could only extract it In a di.
sestible form. The difference is not
IN composition, but simply in the
transition of the atoms or ions In the
nolecule.
Farmers differ very much In their
opinions as to when a crop of any.
hing should be cut for feed. A man
nay wait week or so to obtain a lit.
lie more protein In his alfalfa, a
torn may come end ruin the whole
rop. so that, after all, the weather
) the principal thing to consider: but
With late crops the weather makes
ess difference. Rye for hay Is usual
Y cut too late. II we try to get hay
nd grain from the same crop we get
either; the same may be said OF
either for corn. one in a
i'll. or for fodder, as many as you
Ike, but don't expect to raise both
! one crop