American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1911-05-06
DRY FARM SORGHUM
Two Types Do Unusually Well in
Arid Regions.
Method Of Preparing Seed Bed Does
Not Diner Materially From That
Of Treating COMPLIANT 10
Sensitive to Cold.

o. Treating COMPLIANT 10
Sensitive to Cold.
by n. r. PATTERSON. Montana Ex.
pertinent Etation.)
There are two types Of sorghum
that do unusually well In regions Of q
light precipitation. The sweet or sac.
charine sorghum is perhaps grown
more for it's sugar content than for
forage purposes. The non-saccharine
II known primarily as a fodder sor-
ghum. Under this group we have the
milo maize and the kafir corn. The
plant Ii a very rank grower and
furnishes considerable feed. It grows
unusually well upon light soils and in
hot climates. However, It will do
better when grown upon the loan
and when supplied with sufficient
moisture.
The method of preparing the seed
bed for sorghum does o differ ma
terially from the method Of preparing
the seed bed for corn. II the land is to
be plowed in the spring 1t must be
urned over to a depth of about six or
seven inches. The land should then
be disked, narrowed once or twice.
when the seed may be sown. The
method of seeding and the amount OF
seed sown per ACRE will vary accord
Ing to tbs purpose Of the crop.
II 1t Is desirable to secure a crop Of
seed, we usually drill the seed In at
the rate of six to seven pounds per
acre. The seed may be drilled either
with the common grain drill or with
the corn planter. Some farmers seem
to have secured better results by
drilling the sorghum In with the corn
planter, placing the rows about three
feet six inches apart and the seeds
from four to eight inches apart in the
row. A large amount of seed Is used
when the grain is broadcasted. 1t is
customary to put In about fifteen
pounds e acre. OF course, this
amount will vary with the character
OF the soil and season. II there is
any danger Of any of the seeds rot
ting, we should make allowance for
this and put on q larger amount per
acre; also II some Of the seeds do not
terminate It will mean that more
seeds must be used.
Sorghum Is not sown until quite late
In the season or until the soil has
warmed up quite thoroughly. The
plant is very tender and IL the soil
happens to be very wet and cold the
seeds will not terminate, the young
plant will not grow.
Best results have always been Sc
cured by the use of fresh seed. The
seed loses its vitality very quickly and
II old seed Is used good results are
not always obtained. The amount OF
seed will also vary according to the
amount Of moisture present In the
soil. II the crop Is to be grown upon
irrigated land we usually add about
four pounds per acre to the amount
given above. Upon irrigated land the
seed Is also sown with a drill or with
a broadcast seeder. II the sorghum
Is drilled In the subsequent care will
be the same as that for corn. but If
1t Is broadcasted It receives but little
care until time for harvest. However,
narrowing Immediately after seeding
and just as the grass through
the soil has been known to give good
results. This will keep down the
weeds and will also aid In forming a
mulch over the surface, which will pre-
serve the moisture. Sorghum is a quick
growing plant and as was mentioned
before, furnishes a great deal of fod-
der.
II . forage crop Is to be secured.
the grain should be cut before the full
blooming period Is reached. But one
crop Is secured in a season. The
binder or the mower may be used in
removing the crop. The grass when
cut with the mower should be allowed
to cure and then should be placed In
small cocks or piles. This will permit
of its thorough drying n curing.
The crop. If cut with the binder, is
handled In much the same way as is
the small grains. To secure a crop
of seed we must not harvest until the
stage. The plant is used almost e
clusively to secure the crop of seed.
The bundles are placed In shocks and
to dry. when they are
threshed with the common threshing
machine. II is not customary to al
the entire bundle to pass through
the thresher. but to thrust the heads
into the cylinder and then remove the
other portions. This will not break
up the stalks and as a result
good fodder may be obtained.
The yields from sorghum vary from
ten to ninety bushels per acre, the
average being about forty-five bushels.
As high as Is tons of fodder has also
secured from this crop In the
,rid regions.