The Raymer enterprise., 1911-02-09
DRY LAND S0RGHUMS
Especially Adapted as Good
Drought Resistant Crops.
saecharine and Non-saccharIne Va.
rleties Can Survive and Produce
Abundant Yields Under the
Most Adverse Conditions.


Most Adverse Conditions.
Prof A. n. Ten Eyck. superintend
ent OF the Fort Hays tKan.) Expert
ment station. In an address on
drought resistant crops. delivered be
fore the Western Kansas Farmers
conference said:
Both the saccharine and non.sac
charine sorghums are especially adap
ted for 'dry-land farming" and are
we'll named "drought-resistant crops
These crops can survive and produce
abundantly under conditions ol
drought and hot winds that would
destroy almost any other crop grown
on the western plains.
or the non-saccharine sorghums
there are four different types OF
groups, varieties OF which are grown
more or less extensively In different
portions OF the west. There are the
katrs. OF which there are three com
mon variet!es-the Red. White and
Black-hulled White; the durras, In
Guiding White and Brown durra;
Milo maize and Jerusalem corn; Shal.
lu, growing in this country under vari,
GUS names as California wheat, Mex,
ican wheat. Egyptian wheat and
Broom corn, OF which there are two
general types or varieties. the Stand.
ard and tie Dwarf.
In Kansas the kafir.corn and Milo
maize Is grown extensively; In the
western part OF the state these crops
furnished much OF the grain.feed and
forage and grain crop kahr and
Milo are superior TO corn where the
several crops grow equally well. pro.
ducing more fodder per acre and OF
better quality than corn-fodder. while
the grain Is nearly equal to corn In
feeding value and largely takes It's
place as a stock feed throughout the
region where corn Is not extensively
grown.
At the Kansas station, OF the yarI.
etIcs named above kafr-corn has
proved to be the best producer OF
grain and fodder. while Milo maize
ranks second. The last-named va
riety and Jerusalem corn are grown
10 limited extent In western Kansas.
In Colorado the Milo maize and Brown
durra are grown more largely than
kt.fr-corn. Shallu Is not SO good a
producer OF grain as katir or Milo at
the Kansas Experiment station, and
much less valuable for forage than
cane. Broom corn is grown only for
It's brush. which usually commands a
high price. This crop is rapidly com.
ing into prominence In western Kan.
sas and Nebraska. II Is an expensive
crop TO grow and crop failure
means great loss. but the crop. espe-
cially In Dwarf broom corn, seems
we'll suited to dry-land farming condi.
tions. In the more favorable seasons
the crop yields well and is very profit.
able TO grow.
In Kansas saccharlne sorghum. or
cane, is grown extensively for forage.
Usually the seed Is sown broadcast
and the crop Is cut and put up like
hay. There is perhaps no forage crop
adapted for growing in Kansas that
will yield as much forage In a single
season as cane, planted as stated
above. At the Kansas station, in
1903, ~ tons OF cured cane.fodder
were secured at a single cutting, and
It is possible in some seasons, by
seeding early. to cut two crops.
Both the saccharine and non.sac.
charine sorghums are much alike In
the time OF planting, habits OF growth,
etc. Neither crop will start well In
the spring until the soil is warm, and
either crop has the capacity to remain
dormant for consid rabIe period
during drought and then to quickly
renew It's growth when the conditions
are again favorable Both crops are
great eXhausters OF the soil moisture
and perhaps also OF the soil fertility.
kafr-Corn, especially. has gained the
reputation OF being hard" on the
land.
II is the general report that wheat
and other crops do not grow as we'll
after kafir.corn and cane as after
corn, and It Is claimed that the In.
furious effects OF the sorghum crop
on the land may sometimes be OBJ.
served for several seasons. These re.
ports have not been fully tested at
the Kansas station.