THE GUAM STATION AND ITS WORK. 505 



FORAGE CROPS. 



Looking forward to the introduction of live stock from the United 

 States, special prominence has been given to the work of testing the 

 adaptability^ of crops used for stock feeding. (PI. XXVIII.) Among 

 those that have been successfully gi-own, the sorghums have proved 

 specially valuable as soiling crops, and easily surpass all others that 

 have been under observation for this purpose. Kafir corn has produced 

 a crop amounting to T| tons of green feed per acre on rather poor 

 soil. The time required to produce the first crop was about three 

 months when planted during the dry season, and two succeeding rat- 

 toon crops, which yielded about the same amount, were cut at inter- 

 vals of about six weeks. Broom corn and sweet sorghum shoAv about 

 the same results in the production of green fodder. Both Kafir corn 

 and Egyptian corn have yielded good crops of grain. 



Guinea grass (Panicum fnaximvm) , secured from the Hawaii Agri- 

 cultural Experiment Station at the close of the last year, was planted 

 on poorly drained soil, and consequently made little headway during 

 the wet season. Later all roots were taken up and subdivided in 

 order to extend the area, and planted on soil which proved to be 

 lacking in fertility. Just one good crop, yielding over 12 tons per 

 acre, has been cut from this plat. Growth, however, on a small area 

 indicates that on soils adapted to its growth, this grass will prove a 

 valuable forage crop. "Wlien grown under favorable conditions it 

 furnishes an abundance of succulent and nutritious feed which is 

 relished by all classes of live stock. 



Johnson grass {Sorghum, halepeiise) , also obtained during the 

 previous fiscal year, has grown quite satisfactorily throughout the 

 entire year. Roots for the initial planting were obtained from Mr. 

 Joaquin Diaz, of Piti, who introduced it from the island of Saipan. 

 The same tendency to retain occupation of the soil and to spread to 

 other land that makes it a serious pest in the Southern States is 

 observed in its behavior in Guam. It has been thought best to dis- 

 courage the distribution of this otherwise valuable species on account 

 of its dangerous habits, and requests made by planters for roots 

 for planting have been refused. 



Seeds of large water grass {Paspalum dilatatum) were obtained 

 from the Office of Forage Crop Investigations, Bureau of Plant 

 Industry, at the beginning of tiie year, and this grass has grown 

 throughout both the wet and dry seasons with excellent results. Its 

 adaptability to withstand extreme conditions of drought and rainfall 

 adds much to its value as a pasture grass for Guam. It thrives well 

 on poorly drained soil during long periods of heavy rainfall, where 

 Guinea grass would be killed out or at least produce but little feed. 

 It also does well without irrigation during the diy season when 



