The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1919-10-31
Succulcncc for Stock From, Sorghum
Silage.

Silage.
Sorghum silage, according to Uni
ted States Department of Agricul-
ture specialists. promises to become
n champion yielder of winter succu-
lence. not only for dairy cows but
for other live stock which relish
canned crops. Unfortunately. when
sorghum was first used for silage
purposes many growers cut the sor.
plum too early, so that when the ma
terial was removed from the silo for
feeding IL was sour and acid, and live
stock rejected 1t. AS a result, sor-
ghum gained an evil reputation, al
though experiments have demonstrat.
ed that it is one of the most admir-
able crops for ensilage purposes that
can be grown in the Great Plains
region.
In five years experiments at Hays,
Kans., the average acre yield of sweet
sorghums was 1924 tons, as compar-
ed with 500 tons of kafir and 3.S tons
of corn. In eastern Kansas, where
the rainfall is 80 inches or more, on
fertile soils sweet sorghums have
yielded 1872 tons an acre. as compared
with 11.SS tons of kafir and 11.S1
tons of corn silage. Detailed feed
ing experiments have shown that
sweet sorghum silage is proportion
ately equal to corn and kafir silage
for either beef production or the
maintenance of stock animals. al
though for dairy cows this variety of
ensilage is less productive because
of its low content of protein.
Acidity Is Low.
Sorghum silage should be cut
when ii is mature. its ripeness being
denoted by the presence of hard seed
The test for ripeness is when the
seed will crack when crunched be-
tween the teeth. When cut at this
time it produces a fine-quality silage
which keeps well and is more keenly
relished by cattle than corn silage.
Experiments show that the average
acidity of corn silage is 2.03 per cent
that of sweet sorghum silage is LAG
per cent and that of kafir silage is
1.43 per cent.
The United States Department of
Agriculture does not advocate the
growing OF sorghum for silage in spe-
cialized corn-producing localities,
such as Illinois and Iowa. However,
the utilization of sorghum as silage
is recommended in the Great Plains
section, and also in the Southeastern
States, where this cane crop will pro-
duce greater yields and better ensi-
lage than will corn.
In case a dairy farmer wishes to
raise an. ensilage of practically balanc-
ed composition-assuming that his
location is in a territory where both
these crops may be profitably produc-
ed mixture of velvet beans and
sorghum is very satisfactory. This
combination is high yielding and pro-
duces a succulent canned feed which
is very productive of both milk and
meat. An objection to velvet bean
growing in combination with sorghum
is that the crop has to be cut by hand.
as it usually is densely matted and
twined together SOFAS to render i'm
possible the use of a corn binder.
An Arkansas grower reports yields
of from IL to IA tons an acre of vel
vet bean and sorghum silage. Ordi-
narily under Kansas conditions-and
the conditions in Kansas are fairly
typical of large portion of the Great
Plains area-sorghum is ready for
harvest and ensilage about two weeks
after corn is properly dented. glazed,
and filled for harvest and storage In
the silo.
RattIin1 ScrlIb RuIIs