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Show SORGHUM CROP OM DRY FARM Best Results Have 3een Secured by Use of Fresh Seed Lose3 Its Vi-tality Vi-tality Very Quick. (By II. F. PATTKRSON. Aslstant Agronomist, Ag-ronomist, Muninr.i K.pt-rllmiiit - Station.) Sta-tion.) Two types of sorghum do well in regions of light precipitation. This' sweet or saccharine sorghum is perhaps per-haps grown more for its sugar content con-tent than for forage purposes, while the nonsaccharine is known primarily as a fodder. Under the latter group are milo maize and kaiir corn. The metnod of preparing the seed bed for sorghum does not differ materially ma-terially from that for corn. If the land is to be plowed in the spring it must be turned over to a depth of nbout six or seven inches. The land should then be disced and harrowed once or twice, when the seed may be sown. If it is desirable to secure a crop of seed, we usually drill the seed in at the rate of six to seven pounds per acre. Some farmers seem to have secured better results by drilling sorghum with the corn planter, placing plac-ing the rows about three and a half feet apart and the seeds from four to eight inches apart in the row. A large amount of seed is used when the grain is broadcasted, and it is customary to put in about 15 pounds per acre. This amount will vary with the character of the soil and season. If there is any danger of any of the seeds rotting allowance for this should be made and a larger amount per acre put on; also if some of the seeds do not germinate it will mean that more seed must be used. Sorghum Is not sown until quite late in the season, or until the soil has warmed up quite thoroughly. The plant is very tender, and if the soil happens to be very wet and cold the seed will not germinte, and the young plant will not grow. The best results have always been secured by the use of fresh seed. It loses its vitality very quickly, and if old seed Is used, good results are not always obtained. If the sorghum Is drilled the subsequent sub-sequent care will be the same as that for corn, but if it is broadcasted it receives but little care until time for harvest. However, harvesting immediately imme-diately after seeding and Just as the grasB comes through the soil will keep down weeds and also aid in forming a mulch which will help to conserve moisture. If a forage crop is to be secured the grain should be cut before the full blooming period is reached and only one crop secured in a season. The crop, if cut with a binder, is handled in much the same way as small grain. To secure a crop of seed do not harvest until the grain is In the milk or hard dough stage. The plant is used almost exclusively to secure the crop of seed. The bundles bun-dles are placed in shocks and allowed to dry, when they are threshed with the common threshing machine. It Is not customary to allow the entire bundle to pass through the thresher, but to thrust the heads into the cylinder cylin-der and then remove the other portions. por-tions. This will not break up the Btalks, and as a result some good fodder may be secured. |