THE COMPOSITION AND DiaESTIBILITY OF SUDAN 



GRASS HAY. 



W. G. GAESSLER AND A. C. MoCANDLISH. 



INTRODUOTION. 



The introduction of Sudan grass {Andropogon sorglmm var.) 

 into the United States took place less than nine years ago, but 

 since theli this crop has becoime widely known and its popularity 

 is rapidly increasing. Sudan grass, being an annual, does not 

 make a g'ood pasture plant, but gives excellent results as a hay 

 or soiling crop ; it might also be successfully made into silage 

 if mixed with a legume. 



RESUME OF PREVIOUS WORK. 

 A considerable amount of work has been done on the produc- 

 tion of Sudan grass, and, though the yields of hay obtained var- 

 ied considerably, they were as a rule satisfactory. 



TABLE I. 

 AVERAGE YIELDS OF SUDAN GRASS HAY.i' 



Average 3.4 



The average yields of Sudan hay, as stated in Table I, have not 

 all been calculated by the same method but the results show that 

 as a rule a yield of three to four tons of field cured hay per acre 

 can be expected. 



The material available to show the composition of Sudan grass 

 hay is limited but a compilation of the published analyses is in- 

 cluded here. There is a wade variation in the moisture contents 



^Farm Bui. 677 ; U. S'. Dept. Agric. 

 "Monthly Bui. Vol. 1, No. 3; Ohio Sta. 

 3Bul. 212 ; Kans. Sta. 



