The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1915-04-29
SUDAN GRASS TINE NEW NAY
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D breath Resistant Fsrxge Crsp

Possibly no other crop ever introduc-
ed into the United States became 10
generally popular 10 80 short q time
as Sudan grass. 1t has been In this
country only a little more than five
years. and II it has ever made an enc
my he Is keeping his feelings to HIM
self. Its friends are many. not only
In Texas where the great bulk Of the
crop is to be found, but In practically
every state In the Union. 1t is prover-
btal that the farmer is slow to accept
q new idea. No matter how useful 1t
may prove to be in the end In Texas
many farmers were 1T first reluctant
to plant Sudan grass. aud offered many
reasons why they should keep It OF
their farms. Chief among these was
that Sudan grass, being relative to
johnson grass. was sure 't0 turn to
Johnson grass" after a year or two Of
cultivation In this country. and become
pest equal to or worse than Johnson
grass. Another was that a crop so
productive as Sudan grass would ruin
the land, etc. Here and there, however
was farmer with curiosity enough
to plant the crop and grow it accord
ing to instructions. Most of these be-
ing satisfied with the yields, fed it to
various kinds of live stock and found
that 1t was relished by all.
Curiously enough, very few of the
early cO-operators saved much OF the
seed, but all wanted more furnished
them the following season Every plat
grown attracted hundreds of farmers
and enthusiasm fed like Wild fire. II
at the present time. there is farmer
in Texas who is not booster for Su-
dan grass, it is simply because he
has not seen the crop grown, or has
been unable to secure seed. Judging
from the enormous number of requests
for information coming from every
state In the Union, and even our in
sular possessions, it would seem that
the interest is not confined to Texas
alone. The writer has had great
many letters from leading citizens of
various states, asking why Sudan grass
was attracting so much attention. In
each instance he has replied that it
is because Sudan grass. from the start
has made a wonderful performance re-
cord wherever tried. 1t gives a highly
profitable yield of palatable nutritious
hay. 1t is adapted to practically every
soil type and climate condition to be
found in the United States south of
the northern tier of states, except, of
course, water-logged lands and desert
1t is especially appreciated in the
South because it is an annual grass
crop which may be rotated with corn
in manner such as clover 1t is ap-
prcciated in the western part of the
United States because of its wonderful
drouth resistance and consequently
heavy yielding powers, under semi
arid conditions. 1t is appreciated in
many parts of the north on types of
soil and under conditions where timo-
thy and clover are not suitable crops
1t is also destined to be grown in tim
othy growing sections, for the reason
that 1t is more prolific yielder and
furnishes hay at different season.
In the western United States, under
irrigation, it has outyielded alfalfa.
While Sudan grass is especially at
tractive because of its drouth resis-
tance, it is all the more productive
under humid conditions. the principal
difference being that in humid sections
the 'aed yield is uncertain because of
an insect known as the sorghum midge
which stings the embryo and destroys
the seed. The great seed producing
area Of the country will be the semi
arid Central West and Southwest.
In Texas the yield of seed has var
led from 200 lbs. to as high as 1850
lbs. to the acre the first cutting A
number of Texas farmers have a sec
ond cutting of the seed which has not
as yet been harvested and threshed.
This goes to show that it is a prolific
yielder Of seeds, easily harvested and
threshed. This means that within
few years Sudan grass seed from
planting can be had at much lower
figure than any other kind of seed
grass adapted to this country The
first contracts for Sudan grass seed
in Texas were made at ten cents
pound, but before deliveries were made
the price Of seed had arisen to two dol
lars per pound, and before the planting