The Columbia evening Missourian., 1922-05-17
NOTTOOLATE
TOSOW GOOD
FORAGE CROPS
Sudan Grass and Soybeans
Will Often Beat Oats
for Grain and
Pastures.
MAY BE PLANTED LATE
Missouri State Board of Agri-
culture Urges Fam
lilies to Plant Car
dens.

Because of the astonishing reduction
in the 1922 oats acreage in Missouri this
year, owing to the wet weather of March
and early April, there is widespread
inquiry and discussion of the relative
values of the so-called emergency grain
and forage crops.
Samuel NJ. Jordan of the Missouri
State Board of Agriculture, a well known
practical authority on farm crops, makes
an authorized statement on 'Oats substi-
tuies" and emergency crops, as follows:
when We lose out on one crop, we
must hunt some substitute that will come
as nearly filling our desires as would the
crop We failed TO get into the soil.
I'VE may have failed to get our oats
sown, also failing to get patch Ofrape
sown for the hogs. Rape. however, can
be sown almost any time. The only
trouble is that it will be later, but we
have the advantage of having a fine
growth of bluegrass or rye for that pur
pose, and the rape will come in later in
good play. :
When we have to resort to late sOwn
crops. there are several that are good,
and that are often far more profitable
than oats on which most of us have
missed out in 1922.
For both grain and forage most any
Of the sorghums will bea, oats. Sudan
grass makes an enormous amount of for
age, and often both forage and seed
crop. While all these are big producers,
they are considered pretty hard on land,
and steps should always be taken in
some manner to counieract this effect by
growing with or following by some le-
gume crop.
''As forage and seed crop, soybeans
NAV be used. and often bea: many of our
other staple crops. If forage is want
cd, the soybean is hard to beat, and it is
soil builder of a very excellent kind.
When seed may be the chief idea, not so
much forage can be expected.
GOOD PASTURE CROP
''All the sorghums tsudan grass is a
scrghum) as well as soybeans may be put
into the ground rather late, and do fine.
IL should be remembered that all the
crops named here are what we call
warm weather nts. July first is very
late, but / ha known them to do well
planted this late in Missouri. If they
can be planted by June 10th they should
give excellent returns.
Sudan grass has been found to make
fne summer pasture crop. The plant
cndures dry weather well, and if put into
good soil will make good pasture when
the summer grasses have dried up.
1T is a safe plan to put out a sudan
patch for emergency pasture purposes,
for it usually happens that we have some
very dry weather in midsummer when
our stock surely needs it. This is the
most critical time for the milk COW.
The question is often asked about the
alleged danger of pasturing sudan grass,
since it is a sorghum. There may be
some danger, but we think it very remote.
The writer has never known of an authen-
tic case where cattle or other stock have
been poisoned by pasturing on sudan
grass.
Nearly all stock relish sudan grass
very much. and where the soil is good and
the moisture reasonable it is very heavy
Producer.
PLANT A GARDEN
PLANT the garden anyhow-for it is
half of the family living. no matter wheth-
er the spring is early or late" is the prac-
tfcal doctrine being promulgated by the
Missouri State Board of Agriculture.
The soundest possible policy of farm
ing and gardening is TO plant a normal
amount of stuff as early as the weather
and the season will permit.