Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-10-22

scale and be of uniform quality ano
, Of high grade in order to win q
ready sale. Every man should pe
encouraged to raise his own syrup
for home use, but if it is to be a
commercial proposition then II
would be better for a crushing and
evaporating plant to be erected IN
the heart of the community and the
product prepared, finished and SOLD
| through the agency of such an or
ganization. When this is done there
will be no trouble about making a
uniform output and finding a ready
sale therefor.
Presenting that we are to con-
| tinue the present methods OF
! syrup production, or if ever we are
! to increase the same, what shail
we do with the waste material when
comes from the crushing mills and
is known as sorghum pomace. is
| it to be thrown away or allowed
to ferment beside the mill, or can
we utilize it to advantage for the
| maintenance of live stock? IL we
can do this we can gain another
profit from the making of syrup
which may carry the greater part
of the overhead involved in that
undertaking. In any event we can
eliminate a great waste and use
serviceable food material to advan-
| tage. Investigations made here IN
Georgia indicate that the pomace
may be made into silage to good
advantage. 1t makes not only
cheap and excellent food for fat
| tening steers, but can be used for
| other classes of live stock as we'll.
The use of this material in the
manner indicated has long since
! passed the experimental stage, be-
cause such reputable citizens as the
Hon. B w. Hunt, of EatontoA, Ga,
and Mr.. w. p. Fur. of Toccoa,
have used the pomace materials
quite extensively for. a sufficient
length of time to establish its value.
Testimonials as to the value OF this
waste product could be multiplied
by the hundred were it necessary
to do so to carry conviction into
the hearts of the uninitiated. More
over, the analysis of sorghum POM
ace made at the Georgia State Col
lege of Agriculture shows that it
very closely resembles in food value
the freshly ensiloed sorghum. In
other words, the extraction of the
juice takes away from the plant
very little of it's feeding value. This
is an important fact to bear in
mind.
In handling sorghum for syrup
manufacture and for ensiloing at
the same time it is best to pro-
coed as follows: Cut the heads off
and thresh them for seed. OF course
the crop cannot be cut for syrup
making until it has virtually ma
tured. The heads naturally have to
be removed in order to keep the
syrup from being bitter. On large
farms, or where the work is car
ried forward on a commercial basis.
the leaves should not be stripped
from the stalks. 1t is especially de-
sirable that they be left thereon
when the crop is to be ensiloed. The
leaves contain much valuable food
and they are palatable and there
fore eaten with avidity by the ami
mails fed on the resulting silage.
The labor involved in stripping the
leaves is also heavy cost item and
the avoidance of this is therefore
a very desirable end to attain. Some
manufacturers think that the sor-
ghum leaves affect the quality of
the syrup, but it is doubtful if a
good article made from stalks to
which the leaves are attached could
be distinguished from the stripped
stalks, especially if the judges did
not know the source from which the
syrup came.
The amount OF silagc to expect
per acre will vary, but from 8 to
10 tons would be considered an
average yield. Naturally the pomace
should be put up when it is fresh.
In other words, it should not be
allowed to lay out on the ground
and ferment for several days be-
fore being put in the silo. If this
is done the silage may ferment and
prove quite undesirable, and in
fact, much Of it might mold and
'hus become a waste product in so
far as it's food value is concerned.
The process, Of extracting the
Juice from sorghum results in re-
ducing the water content to about
SO per cent. Under the circum-
stances 100 pounds of water should
be added for every 100 pounds Of
monaco as this material is run into
the silo. 1t is better to have too
much than too little water, and one
good practicable way to determine
this is to observe when the shoes
md trousers of the workers have
become wet in tramping the pomace
down as it is run into the silo. The
most desirable way Of wetting this
material as it is ensiloed is through
the medium of water pipe run to
The top Of the silo and to which a
hose can be attached. 1t is not a
GOOD plan to attempt to introduce
the water through the ensilage cut
ter fan. This method has been
tried but cannot be recommended
as. satisfactory.
The practical feeding value of
sorghum silage pomace has been
demonstrated in steer feeding tests
undertaken by the extension divi-
sion Of the Georgia State College
OF Agriculture at various points in
the state. In the most recent, tests
some ~ tennessee raised steers were
FED for a period Of 105 days. The
average gain made by these animals
was I'll pounds per head per day.
rms gain was made on a daily ra.
tlon OF 80 pounds of sorghum pom.
ace sllage, 6 pounds cottonseed meal
o. pounds cottonseed hulls, and a
very small amount Of molasses. The
molasses was used as an appetizer
and to give palatability to the ra-
ton. Cottonseed meal and hulls are
oy-products of cotton plantations.
The farmer, if he chooses, can as a
rule exchange his seed for meal
and bulls. If he has cattle to feed
1t is often good practice to proceed
IN this manner. Moreover, if he
feeds the meal and hulls to his cat.
tie and saves the manure he will