Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1914-07-11
SUDAN GRASS As
A HAY CROP
Experiments at Texas Experiment
stations Prove II to be a
Valuable Crop.

Texas mas Bonc Win of.i ou"""
grass. From a total acreage OF about
100 last year TO more than 1900 acres
this year planted to this grass is the
record made In one year by Sudan
grass. SEED were placed on the mar
ket last winter and this past spring
and sold readily for from $3.50 to
$3.50 per pound.
Sudan grass was introduced into
the United States In 1909 by the
United States Department of Agricul-
ture. A. u. Conner now agronimist
at the state experiment station at A.
a. NJ. College. at that time In charge
OF forage crop testing station con-
Quoted comparatively at chillicothe by
the United States Department and tho
State system OF stations, brought some
OF the seed TO Texas. The grass
thrlved. In the fall OF 1912, however,
the Texas experiment station system
under the direction OF b. Youngblood
obtained n quantity OF Sudan grass
seed and planted this grass at the sta.
tions located at Denton, Lubbock
Temple, Nacogdoches, Spur and Col
lege Station, giving a wide variety In
soil type and in climatic conditions.
The grass made wonderful records
both from the standpoint OF hay and
seed production, and m spite OF drouth
proved a money making crop. Mr..
Youngblood at once saw that the grass
was peculiarly adapted to Texas con-
dltions and urged that II be planted.
Seed we're scattered through the ex-
periment associations and farmers liv'
ing near the various substations we're
given purebred seed and instructions
as to how to plant and cultivate the
grass. Last year wonderful records
were made and an insistent demand
was made for seed Those farmers
who had planted the seed given tc
them by the experiment station real
lied from $500 to $500 per acre of
their seed in addition to from three
TO FIVE tons Of good hay.
This years acreage has passed thu
200 mark and already growers OF thu
grass have contracted TO sell thou
sands OF pounds Of their seed at 3
and sl.5O per bushel. d. b. ClarksoI
Of Robstown put in $50 acres. Charlie
Felker Of Hockey 100 acres. and Their
are other farmers who have plante'
n large number Of acress to the grass
sudan grass goes a long way to
ward solving the forage problem
sa'l Mr.. Youngblood IN discussing tn
grass 1T has given exceptions
Yields Of fine hay at all places wher
II has been tried and the yield @
seed has been good also. Drout
seems to affect It but little and Their
Is no danger Of its being drowned b
too much rain. It is thought to be tn
wild original form OF cultivated so
ghum. Under average conditions
reaches a height of FIVE feet tn
stems are small and somewhat MOI
leafy than Johnson grass. It is read
" cured into hay fully equal In feet
ing value to Johnson grass hay IL
very similar in appearance to Johnso
u grass. hut is entirely distinct, bein
i an annual and therefore dying OF
u each year. II lacks the undergroun
l. root stock that marks the Johns'
y grass and so produces greater ''
growth than Johnson grass. II M
he cut one or more times year II
r hay. depending on the rainfall. At Il
4. chillicothe station, semi-arid regio
y four cuttings were made In one sc
e SON averaging a ton per cutting AIT
the first cutting about thirty days a
necessary, under favorable conditiou
d. for the second crop. The seed vie
TX is about ten bushels per acre. the SCI
lie weighing about thirty-two pounds p
h. bushel.'
The grass crosses very readily WI
cultivated varieties of sorghum a
70 for that reason should not be plant
IN close TO that crop. Careful rosulng
70 the fields to make the seed pureor
Is urged by Mr. Youngblood. III
week Mr.. Youngblood and Mr. Conn
10 will visit a number Of the Sudan era
81 farms and will give certificates to I
4" pure breeds of the grass.
Mr. Youngblood predicts even
wider demand for the grass, II Is
ny common sense crop, he says ana
OBJ grass will be grown widely in Ten
he MS well as in the entire Southwest
oof course we are proud OF
grass and are partial to 1t beca'
1t we brought It into Texas But
or most pleasing part of it all is q
those who have tried 1t are clamorl
for more seed and are putting IN
larger acreage each year" is the
ST thusiastic statement OF Mr.. You
blood.
,es TREE SURGERY.
his