The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1918-08-16
NEW FORAGE GRASS
SAID TO m A WONDER
Elephant Grass, Product Of South
Africa Yields sixty Tons Per
Acrr--Drouth Rcsistcr

0rst stand Of Elephant grass which
Is making prodigious growth In the
lack yard experiment station of
Eugene j. Spencer. Los Angeles, Is
being watched with the keenest in
tcrtst by dairy aud stock men of the
Southwest, a. we'll rs by the gov
ernmoni aud university authorities.
among whom is Prof b. 2. Kennedy.
head of forage crop Investigations at
the University Of California. Prof
kennedy is conducting classes in
agronomy IN the university summer
,ession, which Is being held at the
los Angeles high school. Tie recent
ly took onc Of his classes on an in
spcction trip 10 Mr.. Spenccr's farm
IN order TO demonstrate on the
ground the marvellous performance
90 this newly introduccd crop.
After years Of study Of the forage
crops NJ California. Prof. Kennel,
frankly admits his astonishment al
the results attained with this south
African plant. lie states that n
other known forage crop has ever
produced at the rate now heim
demonstrated hy the Elephant pras
In this Los Angeles yard After
carefully measuring. weighing ant
estimating the yield Of Mr. Spcncer's
crop. the professor announces that
a two months growth has produce,
e.; the rate Of sixty tons Of green
feed In the acre for the one cutting
That the future outlook for a croI
showing .uch a remarkable tonnage
especially u with the high fccdini
value possessed by Elephant grass
almost mrstimahlr. T. freely stat
ed by Prof Kennedy.
The three lines To be- followed in
future experiments with this grass.
h. says will be- the determination of
NJ, possibilities a. a silago crop. a. a
hay crop and a. a pasture grass.
That II will need Ia be- handled dit
torcnlly than ordinary grasses. even
from the hrst. m developing is hest
points In these various uses. Is eyi-
dput. \ distinct difference Is al
ready manifested In the individual
plants, some being Of much heavier
aud cuarsrr canes when mature
than others. the finer stalk usually
having q finer leaf Al alike are
,ucculcni and tender aud the pala-
liability Tor stock has been demon
-lratcd.
The habits Of the plant are similar
10 those of the sorghums, excepting
for its great advantage AS a peron-
Mai Tender young shoots planted
in Antelope valley In September. 1917
hy Mr. spencer which froye to the
ground came up from the root In
the early spuing Of 1918. A. mary as
eighty i've stool, Ia the single plant
have been counted IN Mr.. spenccr's
plot IN the first years growth.
Gruwlh from the year old roots Is
much more rapid than during the
season of planting, although under
favorable circumstances the gras'
attaius remarkable height and densl-
ty from nNy plants grown from cut
ung-. The grass lhrlyes on warmth
aud sunlight and when planted IN
the winters. even IN southern Cali
fornia lies more or less dormant m
al the weather becomes warmer
One ranchcr m the mountains back
ol san Diego Il, H. Wagner, Of Des-
cansi. reports a slN-foot stand from
Genes received from Mr.. Spencer In
February and planted In pots until
the latter part Of March, when they
were iransplanled Ia the open
ground Mr.. Taylor Of Dcscanso.
working with Mr. Wagner, has been
the only n In the country. 80 far
as IS known who has obtained good
results from seeds.
These seeds, obtained from Aus
tralia. were not planted until June
1913. They were set out in a care.