Imperial Valley press., 1912-11-15

ed in some sections because it was
said to be injurious to the soil No
support has ever been given to this
idea by agricultural authorities. A
crop of Kaffir corn, say 80 bushels
per acre, will remove 6.5 pounds of pot
ash, 10.4 of phosphoric acid, and 302
pounds of nitrogen. Such a small crop
of corn as So bushels to the acre will
remove 7.9 pounds of potash, 1888
pounds of phosphoric acid, and 25.2
pounds of nitrogen. 1t appears, then,
that corn removes more of the essen
tial plant foods, with the exception Of
nitrogen, which may easily be replen-
ished by proper rotation of crops or
by planting cowpeas between the rows
during the summer.
The Colorado Field and Farm takes
another whack at the subject this way:
The problem of harvesting the KAT
fir corn has bothered many settlers on
the plains, and probably the fact that
the operation is more difficult than
with corn and requires a little cash
farmers to abandon the growing of
the crop. Several methods are used
in harvesting, for the heads are cut
off in various ways while the crop is
standing. The fodder is first cut and
shocked and the heads cut off later
Sometimes the heads are not cut off,
but the whole plant is run through
the thresher, or the heads are put in
far enough to remove the grain and
then removed The second method
was never very popular and is seldom
used now, as it is a very expensive
operation. The heads are broken or
cut off by hand while the crop IS
standing. When the harvesting is done
by hand many prefer to break the
heads off close to the butt and say
that more bushels can be gathered in
a day than in corn husking.
jackknife can be readily used for
severing the heads. If the heads are
to be gathered before the fodder is cut,
which should be done shortly after the
grain is ripe, and if the fodder is to
be saved, some precaution will have
molding. This is done by putting them
in small stacks with alternate layers
pf St trl in
if the weather is favorable. The fod-
der may be cut by hand, with the var
ious sled cutters. with the grain bind
ers, or, better still, with the corn bind
ers. If one is raising much Kaffr corn,
undoubtedly a corn binder will pay.
Not only does it put the fodder in good
bundles the heading can be done with
much less trouble and expense.
The heads are taken off the cut
fodder by putting the tops of the bun
dies over a block fixed for the purpose
and severaing the heads with several
blows of broadaxe or corn knife
j eihiilS piI lIit itduS W llH d cutting OF
chaffiing box is a rapid and conven-
lent way as the bundle is placed in
the box and the heads taken off with
one shear of the knife without scat
tering any grain. The heads are very
readily threshed in the common thresh-
er, but this should not be done until
the heads have cured several weeks
after cutting if the grain is to be
stored in large quantities. At the time
as damp Kaffir corn heats readily. AS
rule, if the stover is to be put up
in fair sized stacks it should remain
In the shock at least two months, as
1t will heat if stacked before this time
If threshed Kaffir corn is to be kept
in large quantities in tight bins care
must be exercised or it will heat and
mold. This may happen to grain
stored in the best Of conditions, par
ticularly IL the weather is little damp,
and the weevils get into 1t. weevils
are a great pest In this grain that is
stored in bins through the summer,
and do much damage. If the storing
is for any length of time 1t is better
accomplished while the grain is on the
heads. The grain saved for planting
should be kept on the heads, or, if
threshed, in open sacks in a dry place.
The question is often asked: How
many pounds of grain in the heac
should be allowed for a busheI Oh
grain? 1t requires from rs to 80 pounds.
If the heads are large and well filled
and cut close to the butt and are dry,
75 pounds of the heads will thresh out
Sc pounds Of grain. If the stems on
them are long and are damp, it will
take 80 pounds to yield sc pounds of
grain.