The Grasses 289 



most other cereals of the grass family. Hence the Kafc 

 com has attained a great popularity in the semi-arid West. 

 Broom com is the only member of the sorghum family 

 that is grown for commercial purposes other than feed, 

 and even with this the seed have a feeding value. 



Of late years the saccharine sorghums have been largely 

 used as forage plants both for sowing broadcast for hay or 

 for planting for maturity and harvesting for cured stover 

 like Indian corn. All domestic animals are fond of the 

 sweet sorghums, and they should be more largely grown 

 for feeding. Cultivated to maturity, the stalks can be 

 shocked and will retain their succulent character for feed- 

 ing during the winter, though they will not cure dry like 

 corn stalks. But keeping well in the shocks they can be 

 fed during the winter with good results. For this purpose 

 the crop should be planted in rows just as though grown 

 for syrup making, and should be cut at the same stage of 

 ripeness. The stalks can be cut by machinery and fed 

 with very good results to any animals. Hogs are fond of 

 sorghum and thrive on it either mature or in the field sown 

 broadcast. 



The genus Festuca contains a number of valuable species 



of grasses for hay making. One of the best species is 



Festuca elatior, known as tall meadow fescue, 



The Fescues -^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^ ^^^ ^^ fescue. It is a 



European grass that has long been cultivated in this 

 country. It is a strong-growing perennial grass growing 

 two to four feet high, and is much relished by catde 

 green and dry. A smaller growing variety has been 

 called Festuca pratensis, but it is merely a variety of this 

 species. It is as early as orchard grass and associates 



