Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1917-08-03
SOrghums Good Crop
Farm Bulletin Says

The various sorghums are a very
important crop for regions too dry for
the growing Of Indian corn, according
to q bulletin just issued by the Agri-
cultural Experiment station workers
at Mesilla Park, which will be Of
much interest to Grant county dry
farmers.
Kafir, milo and feterita are the most
important grain sorgrums the bulle-
tin states, and are now recognized as
leading dry land crops for regions
having attitudes not greater than g.
600 feet. Results with these crops at
the Tucumcari Field Station indicates
that Dwarf milo is the highest yield
ing grain crop, but that the rough
age is very poor. Kafr roughage
is much better and the grain yields
are but slightly lower than those Of
milo. Kafir is much easier to harvest.
Feterita is a promising grain crop and
seems to be slightly more drouth re-
sistant than either milo or Kafir.
However, at the Tucumcari Station it
has not proven itself more valuable
than kafir or milo, in normal years.
The sweet sorghums are drouth re
GAoAeAiAb anu bGlOllE W IIt same ENHtT-
al family as the kafirs. The seed Of
this crop IS not grown for feed, as It
IS unsuited for this purpose; but the
entire plant makes highly desirable
forage, either when fed as hav or
silage. Sweet sorghums should he
allowed to mature the seed before
beng harvested for forage-more cs-
peclally silage-as in this way the
juice does not become so acid as 1t
does when the crop is harvested too
green. This crop usually makes a
heavier tonnage of silage than do the
grain sorghums, and for this reason
is gaining in popularity There are
two varieties of sweet sorghum in
this section that are grown more than
the others: the Amber, an early ma
turing strain: and the Sumac, or Red
Top, which comes later
The different varieties and strains
are so similar in habit that they do
not need different cultural treatment.
Different treatment, however. is re-
quired in different sections and in diff
erent seasons, and on different coils
in the same section. The sorghums,
like all other crops, respond to a well
prepared seed bed. The land should
be plowed moderately deep and har-
rowed down so as to break i'm the
clods and provide place so that each
grain comes in contact with the loose,
well pulverized soil. Time speRt in
preparing an even seed bed is well
worth while. for it not only insurcs
better termination, but destroys weed
seed and a large number of young
weeds that are just starting to grow
On soils that are light and subject
to blowing, listing is preferable to
plowing Listing also has the added
advantage of keeping the soil from
washing.
Best results are usually secured
when the sorghum is planted in cul-
tivated rows. With seed of known
good termination, three to four
pounds per acre is sufficient IF
planted for silage, many growers use
considerably more seed per acre The
amount of seed to be planted will be
governed entirely by the vitality Of
the seed, the available moisture. and
the purpose for which it is planted.
When planted for hay it is broadcast
at the rate of one to two bushels per
acre.
The crop should be cultivated often
enough to keep a crust from forming
and to keep down weeds.