Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1914-09-25

W Ina over 100 step. g
arising from one crown ''
from seeding to first cuttinr -.
~ ~ 90 Gays are usually necessarr
ne second cutting comes about ~
"aSS AFTER the first, and in seot,oaS
Wnere the growing season is ahont
e'A months a third cutting can bo
'n"ue oo to 90 days Later. pv ou+
clnS the grass earlier each time
-FOUR cuttings can be made in co.,
sections but it is probable tbat
lnree cuttings give an equally LARGO
yleia OF hay of better quality T1o
TOTAL yields vary from one to oiaht
IONS of cured hay per acre.
Feeding Quality
II mas been demonstrated that
SUDAN grass is palatable, and analv-
S,S SHOWS 1t to be about the same in
chemical composition as .Yobrs,,n
grass and timothy hay. The nor
centage of protein decreases from
lhe heading period until the saad is
RIPE but the hay is as valuable about
poisoning time as at any previous
stage. Being an annual. il can ho
Iitted into any rotation witbour
h'uch trouble, but very little hene.
f't TO the soil will result from prow-
ing II, as it is Il rank feeder and
leaves nothing in the soil for i'm
ploVement except the decaying roots
IL Is suitable for growing in mixtures
with coWpcas, soyebans and other le-
eumes' because its stiff stems sun
port the vines of the legumes and
make harvesting easy, and allow the
legume vines to cure more quickly
oy preventing the mating of the
leaves.
1t Is admirably suited for use as a
soiling crop, since it makes a large
yield and is very palatable in the
green state, as we'll as when cured
for hay.
Enormous yields are secured
under irrigation, because the growth
IS SO rapid and the recovery from
cutting so prompt. a small area n
tile south, where the rainfall is ade
qnate or where irrigation is possible.
can be made to suppor. a goodly
number of animals by this method.
Nc trial of Sudan grass as silage
has yet been carried out. but judg-
ing from its palatability and its sue
culence, it should be excellent for
this purpose, especially in mixtures
with legumes. A mixture of Sudan
grass and cowpeas or soybeans could
be grown for silage as well as for
hay.
No pasture tests have yet been
completed, but Sudan grass seems to
lack several of the essentials of a
good pasture: First, it is an annual
and the ground would necessarily
be soft and considerable injury from
trampling would result, since it does
not form turf; second, live stock
pasturing on it would no doubt, pull
out quite a number of plants; and
finally, being sorghum, it may, in
some cases, be carrier of prussic
acid which when occurring in con
siderable quantity is quickly fatal
to cattle.
In the central great plains the
summers are sufficiently warm and
long enough to mature one cutting,
and in some cases two cuttings of
Sudan grass, thus giving this region
hay of good quality to replace the
millets. This grass promises to be-
come of most Importance as a hay
plant throughout Texas, in western
Oklahoma, western Kansas, western
Nebraska, and central South Dakota.
In the southern part of the United
States the climatic conditions are
also favorable to the production of
this grass, but there are found there
several other grasses and legumes
which partially fill the need for
hay crop. In the southwestern part
of the United States, Sudan grass
will no doubt be extensively grown
under irrigation, since the yields OF
both hay and seed have been highly
satisfactory.
1t is likely that Sudan grass will
supersede the millets as catch crops
in most of the regions east of the
Rocky Mountains, south of the
southern boundary of New York, and
north of Tennessee. Near the gull
veterinarian.
coast the humid atmosphere and con-
tinuous heat favor the development
of the red-spot disease (sorghum
blight and thus reduce the yield.
This is true to some extent also on
the Atlantic coast of the southeast
ern states. Continued cool weather,
such as one encounters in high alti-
tudes, is detrim entail to the growth
- c,,5o, GRACE This fact precludeS