Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1921-09-02
John BOrdner Discusses Value
of These "Catch Crops" For
Forage or Grain Crop on New
Clearings.-Land For These
Crops Should Be Cleared Now

With the slogan of brush and seed
comes the very frequent question
what may be grown as a forage or
grain crop the first year?
There is ample evidence in the
newly settled portions Of Rusk county
that foX-tail and Japanese millets will
produce an abundance of nutritious
hay on new clearings, which have been
thoroughly spring toothed or disked !;
also that hog millet will yield a fair
quantity of hay and good yield OF
grain.
All these varieties of millet made
their maximum growth this year in
about fifty days.
Our climate and rich silt loan soils
are proving ideal for these quick
growing forage crops-not only in
yield per acre but in quality as well.
Yields of from three to ten loads per
acre have been obtained on new land
in Rusk county. The best quality re-
suits in cutting the hay just when the
heads are nicely out. At this time
there is the least crude fiber in the
plant.
What Quality Depends Upon
The quality of any forage crops de-
ponds upon its digestibility which in
turn depends OH crude fiber.
Crude fiber develops rapidly under
adverse climatic conditions such as
drouth or poor soil also as the plant
produces seed and natures. The
| farmer can guard against poor quail
ity in the latter case but when the
crop is checked in growth by extreme
(lrOuth nothing can be done. Our
silt loans hold plenty of crop water
and these give the crop chance TO
grow in a normal manner.
The new settler is always short in
good nutritious hay for the first few
winters. He can well afford to clear
to the end of growing some of these
milletS on unploWed clearings next
year for hay. An acre of hog millet
will also help materially in wintering
i flock of laying hens-the best live
stock on the farm of new settler.
Hog millet seed can also be ground and
fed to other stock.
Soudan grass growing to the height
of eight feet has also demonstrated
| it's possibilities for Rusk county farm
ers this season. 1t is made an eX-
cellent first crop yield of fine hay on
June seeding and the second crop is
already two feet high. and promises
a splendid crop.
Soudan grass is frequently con-
fused with the millets. 1t is not a
millet, but makes a growth similar to
japanese millet and produces heavy
yield Of splendid hay.
Value of Forage Crops
These forage crops have demon
strated their value for the new settler
in furnishing hay for the first winter
and land for their growth should be
cleared now Time is always the main
limiting factor for the beginner on
new land. Especially is this true in
the spring. Brushing, logging and
leveling as many new acres as posi-
BILE this fall will therefore mean more
acres Of these quick growing hay crops
next year with the additional chance
of seeding to timothy and clover. Re
member the best results obtained this
season were not on new breakings but
on land either disked or spring
toOthed. These latter methods of
seed-bed preparations make possible
the handling of more acres and there
fore the wintering of more cows.
John s. RORDNER