Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1911-08-02
REPLACE HAY CROP.
Iowa Agricultural College Tells
How to Plant Forage Crop

lOW4S nay crop IS a 1allure De-
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.
If sorghum is seeded on the oat or
wheat stubble ground at once, or be-
fore August l, it will grow to q
height Of two to three feet before
time to cut it, and it will produce. a
yield ranging from III to 21h tons of
palatable and nourishing forage per
acre.
"The farmer who faces the prob
lem of feeding livestock without a
crop of hay to do 1t with, can't do
better than to SOW field of sor-
ghum at once" said Prof. H. D..
Hughes, of the farm crops depart
ment of the Iowa Agricultural col
lege experiment station. IF he puts
it 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. 1t is cut as though it
were timothy. It cures out we'll in
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
a 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
it 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. 1t 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
4 smooth, mellow condition, SO as to
afford a good seed bed. Seed It IS
soon as the ground Is In fine filth.
using from 60 to so pounds Of seed
per acre. Put 1t in with a grain drill
to a medium depth, from, l to IL
inches. With the first rain it 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 molasses
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 It may
be cut with a mower and allowed to
lie until it Is we'll cured, but that Is
not necessary when the climate is
dry. When there is not a great deal
Of moisture, there is seldom any diff
fculty in curing the crop satisfao-
| 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
be put in shocks loosely, two and
two. The commonest way OF harvest.
ing is to cut with q mower and then
rake and gather it into large cocks
1t may be put into cocks when quite
green. 1t is sometimes fed directly
from the cocks as wanted, but there
ia likely to be less loss when it is
put into the barn or into stacks
topped with coarse grass. 1t is a
! 80 - -
layers Of caue with straw, particular.
~ If the cane is not well cured.
Though sorghum is recommended
now as an emergency crop, it has q
decided value as hay or fodder
apart from Its emergency value. 1t
has long been established beyond a
doubt that it contains abundant
nourishment that is readily digested
1t has generous LEAKAGE that il
sweet and tender and it is highly
palatAble. Cattle like it and thrive
on 1t. When used with other rations
as 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
tho standpoint Of digestibility, sor.
ghum compares favorably with corn
fodder also. In the green state 1t is
more digestible by good margin and
its per cent ia slightly better in the
dry stage also. For good many
soils. sorghum IL a 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
weight.
Sorghum makes a better emerg-
oncy 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.
1t may mean extra labor and effort
to seed field Of sorghum at this
time and to harvest it later on, but
the yield will repay the effort,