Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1911-07-21
REPLACE HAY CROP
Iowa Agricultural College Tells
How to Plant Forage Crop

Iowas hay crop Is a failure b
yond redemption this season. but
there is still time before frost to
grow forage crop OF sorghum that
| will fill the empty hay mows and
| give the livestock palatable fodder
until another year brings green pas
lures and meadows.
II sorghum is seeded on the oat or
wheat stubble ground at once, or be
fore August i, 1t will grow to a
| height Of two to three feet before
| time to cut it,, and it will produce
yield ranging from TX to IN tons of
palatable and nourishing forage per
acre.
"The farmer who faces the prob
lem OF feeding livestock without
crop OF hay to do it with, can't do
| better than to sow field of sor-
ghum at once" said Prof. H. ID.
Hughes, OF the farm crops depart
ment Of the Iowa Agricultural col
lege experiment station. IF he puts
lit in now, he is practically certain to
get q good yield of palatable and
nourishing feed. 1t is not difficult
crop to grow nor to harvest. 1t re-
sists drought and will grow in spite
of very unfavorable conditions; for
that reason it is especially desirable
] this season. It is cut as though II
were timothy. 1t cures out we'll in
i the field 1t may be put up In large
cocks and left in the cocks to be used
from all winter, or it may be stored
! in the barn just like hay. 1t makes
q better emergency crop for Just
/ such a situation as we have in Iowa
! now than Millet, because it will re.
'sist the drought better and because
1t will produce larger yield of for.
age in the time there is to grow it."
There ought to be no delay in put.
ting in sorghum. It ought to be In
not later than by August /, and the
earlier it is seeded the better. The
oats or wheat fields just harvested
/ will provide the best available ground
/ for the crop. The ground should be
plowed shallow and then reduced to
smooth, mellow condition, so as to
afford a good seed bed. Seed it as
soon as the ground is in fine filth,
using from 60 to 80 pounds of seed
per acre. Put it in with grain drill
to q medium depth, from to Ia
inches. With the first rain 1t will
come up quickly and make growth
in spite of continued dry weather.
!. Sorghum seed may be secured
from any dealer in seeds. 1t does
not matter much what variety Is
bought. The crop is grown for for.
age only and not for its molassea
1 producing values.
Sorghum grown for forage must
be cut before heavy frost. There
is danger of poison to cattle in sor-
ghum that has been frosted. 1t may
be cut with mower and allowed to
lie until it is well cured, but that IL
not necessary when the climate Is
dry. When there is not great deal
of moisture, there is seldom any diff.
fculty in curing the crop satisfac.
torily. 1t may be cut with a mower
or corn harvester and shocked like
corn, or If not too heavy, it may be
cut with an ordinary self-binder In
the latter case the bundles should
i be put in shocks loosely, two and
two. The commonest way of harvest.
ing is to cut with a mower and then
| rake and gather it into large cocks,
1t may be put into cocks when quite
green. It is sometimes fed directly
from the cocks as wanted, but there
Is likely to be less loss when it Is
put into the barn or into stacks
topped with coarse grass. 1t is q
good practice in storing to alternate
layers OF cane with straw, particular
ly If the cane is not well cured.
/ Though sorghum is recommended
now as an emergency crop, 1t has a
decided value as hay or fodder
apart from its emergency value. II
has long been established beyond q
doubt that it contains abundant
nourishment that is readily digested
It has gsderous LEAKAGE that lie
sweet and tender and it is highly
palatable. Cattle like it and thrive
/
as a change and an appetizer, it has
an especial value. All kinds of stock
will eat sorghum fodder more readi.
ly than corn fodder and there is
much less waste in feeding. From
the standpoint of digestibility, sor-
ghum compares favorably with corn
fodder also. In the green state it ia
more digestible by good margin and
Its per cent is slightly better in the
dry stage also. For good many
soils. sorghum is hard crop on the
land, but in season like this in
Iowa when some kind Of forage must
be grown, that objection has no great
l weight.
Sorghum makes better emery.
ency crop in season like this than
either millet or COW peas, and espe-
cially the latter, for which present
conditions are too dry to insure a
satisfactory termination and growth.
It may mean extra labor and effort
to seed q field of sorghum at this
time and to harvest it later on, but
the yield will repay the effort.
i Concrete paving for twelve blocks
has been ordered by the city council
OF Marshalltown to be laid during
the present season. Bids will be
4 called for soon.
The hotelmen's state convention