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Show GROW FORAGE CROPS Sorghum Is Most Profitable Under Average Conditions. la Drouth Resistant and May Wilt and Dry Up Until Ready to Be Blown Away and Still N'ake Excellent Crop. In answer to the query. "What for-: for-: ao crops would It be advisable to I Krow In westeru Nebraska? the Iry 1 l-'arniltiK Institute makes the follow-ItiK follow-ItiK reply: I If we are to take the average table land farm, under average conditions, then wo muHt agree that sorghum Is l the most profitable forage crop. It Is the only crop, aside from com, kaftlr corn and the grains that promises , much forage. Alfalfa will produce one and a half tons per acre duili.g favorubln seasons, but during dry seasons the tonnage of alfalfa will be very light. Kalllr corn will withstand with-stand more drouth than sorghum, hut does not do so well as soighum when sown broadcast, and does not mature seed under normal condillons in much ol western Nahraskii The seed must be shipped in at considerable expense, while the farmer can giow cane seed. Corn will not withstand as much drouth as soighum and will not pro duce as large tonnage. The common grains are not very desital ! lor forage for-age since they me more valuable for the grain they produce dining lavor able years and j leld but a small ton nnge during unfavorable years. Millet Mil-let sometimes gives a ruther ling" tonnage, but It more often does not give satisfactory results In yield The hay must be fed with extreme canto can-to horses, if fed at all. Sorghum is the most certain crop of all these to mature forage. Ti ls Is due to two factors. It Is by nature a ( drouth resistant. It may wilt and dry-up dry-up till it Ij) ul out ready to be blown away and still make a ciop if given Fufhcient water during the period of fall rains. It need not be sown , till the middle of June, or even later. 1 his permits the accumulation of , moisture in the soil In which the cane ! seed Is to be planted. With seasons of normal rainfall the first s l feet of the sc 11 may be saturated with ! moisture at seeding time If ih" piop.T cultivation has been given. This is a (treat factor In crop production. It may be planted In rows with n lister, corn planter or dilll, nt'.d culti ; vated. This method Ik certain to pto-duce pto-duce forage. The usual practice Is to sow it breadenst or with a press drill, at the rate of four pecks per acre. It should be sown In June, to that the first heads will begin to ripen about tli" time frost may be expected. It i thould be cut with a mower before it J Is frostid, or the flrtit day after it Is ! frosted. The object In sowing it late ! Is to have It begin to ripen at the i time of the first killing frost. If cut ; at this time there Is not much probability proba-bility of Its being lamug"l by rain while In the swath or windrow. It should be cut when the first heads begin to turn black or red. If cut In August or In the early part of September Septem-ber It Is likely to be lying In the gwath or windrow; It will stand much abuse without being rendered unfit for feed, yet It Is better. If It Is put Into the shock or stack while bright. Cane or sorghum should be put Into windrows as soon as It has become thoroughly wilted. This will require about two days of sunshine. It usually usual-ly requires several weeks before it j may be stacked with safety. One sat ' Isfactory way Is to shock It after it j has cured In the windrow. It may be shocked with but little hard labor by ; using a hay sweep to sweep It Into ! piles. One man v.lth a team and sweep, and two men to follow with forks will shock 35 or more tons per day. Two sweep loads pushed to-Cether to-Cether and topped with a fork make , desirable sho-ks to haul from during the winter, where It Is not deemed necessary to stack all the cane. Some should be stacked to carry stock through the storms while the snow covers the shocks. ! This forage ranks with prairie hay i In feeding value. It Is a satisfactory ! feed for cattle, and for horses both I during the winter and during the j working season. Where feeding cane j as the only forage, the grain ration t should he oats or barley rather than I all corn, as the sorghum Is a starchy j food like corn. If one fourth or one-j one-j half of the forage ration Is alfalfa bet-I bet-I ter results will be secured than from ! sorghum alone, or from sorghum and prairie hay. Sorghum Is beyond ques ! lion the leading forage crop for west-em west-em Nebraska table land n the val-, val-, leys, where there is Irrlr itlon or sub-Irrigation, sub-Irrigation, alfalfa is the pron.lnt nt 1 fortge crop i |
