The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1916-07-14
EMERGENCY CROPS IN JULY


Asked to name the most practical Of
the Emergency Crops" for Missourip
when any portion or all of springs
planted crop has failed, Samuel M
Hordan of the Missouri State Board
or Agriculture concisely summarizes
the kinds that have given the widest
range of service, as follows:
There are several Emergency
Crops among which are sorghum,
feterita, Kafir corn, millet, cowpeas
and soybeans. Jtsis hardly likely that
in the latitude of Central Missouri
that under average conditions any of
these crops Except millet) would rip
en- any seed when sown in July.
Where feterita and Kafir are grown,
they can best be handled by drilling
in rows and giving the crops some
cultivation.
Where sorghum is wanted for hay,
a satisfactory method is to sow from
65 to 100 pounds of seed per acre, us
ing every hoe of the grain drill, Early
Amber is earliest,
It is hardly worth while to refer
further to millet, since practically all
are familiar with growing it for hay.
German millet will often make pro-
fitable seed crop.
Where cowpeas are used late in the
season, seed from three pecks to a
bushel and half per acre, using ev-
cry hoe Of the grain drill, should make
splendid pasture, or it could be
turned under for green manure.
Where the soybean is used, it seems
to give better satisfaction to stop up
every other hoe of the grain drill. In
1914 several farmers ripened seed by
sowing in July but it will be remem-
bered that the fall was exceedingly
late. If it is desired to make hay of
the crop the soybean would be prefer
able to cowpeas, as it is more easily
cured. Sudan grass is also recon-
mended.
If ninety-day seed corn can be Sc
cured and planted on good ground,
fair fodder or sillage might reason
ably be expected from it--but it is
more or less doubtful whether it would
produce corn ~ reasonable value. One
difficulty with planting corn so late
in the season is that it is worked upon
so badly by insect pests that our eff
forts are often attended with disap-
pointment.
4 1t should be remembered that q
we'll prepared seed bed in a fertile
soil is one Of the primary things nee
essary for good crop. If the weather
follows, the chances are that the seco
would not properly terminate anc
good results could not be expected oil
. any emergency crop.
If any Of the crops are sown thai
REQUIRE cultivation, some tool that vii
work the ground shallow will be thu
} best. If the ground is prepared witt
: the disc only, the discing should b
followed very quickly with the seeding
or the crab grass and fox tail will
, give a great deal of annoyance, es
pecially if the weather should remail
! wet.
: Cowpeas and soybeans may be cul
t tivatel with a harrow after they ar
four or five inches high. In the even
that we can do the work in time whel
9 the weather is very warm and tn
: ground dry, we will do little harm t
$ The plants il we slant the teeth wei
d back (say about 45 degrees) Away
careful to keep the teeth free fror
trash. The cultivation Of the soybear
especially, by this method has prove
very satisfactory.
It is sometimes desired to SOW bot
: cowpeas or soybeans and sorghum
and a method that is sometimes en-
3 nloved is to SOW the beans perhaI
from one to three or four days ahea
y # the sorghum, drilling them in row
The width Of corn planter tracks, the
q by drilling the sorghum with on
horse grain drill or with an erdinai