148 



Feeds and Feeding. 



brush before it is fully dry. This seed has considerable feeding 

 value and may be saved by drying or ensiling. A test by Miles 1 

 shows that broom-corn seed can be satisfactorily ensiled in an 

 earth-covered heap. 



183. Kafir. In Oklahoma, Kansas, and the semi-arid regions of 

 the southwestern United States, kafir, introduced from eastern 

 Africa, has proved of great importance both as a grain and a forage 

 plant. The following table shows the yield of kafir and Indian corn 

 at the Kansas and Oklahoma Stations: 2 



Relative yield of kafir and Indian corn. 



*Average for 6 years. 



This table shows that red kafir gave materially better returns in 

 both grain and forage than did Indian corn. Kafir grain weighs 

 from 50 to 56 Ibs. per bushel. The seed coat of the red kafir has an 

 astringent principle which makes it less palatable than white kafir. 

 Tho kafir ranks below Indian corn in palatability and feeding value, 

 it is nevertheless a most valuable and important crop in the dis- 

 tricts where it flourishes. Work horses may be fed either kafir 

 heads or the threshed grain, (416) and idle horses, colts, young 

 stock, and dairy cows thrive on kafir forage carrying the heads. 

 Kafir should always be ground or soaked before feeding. Kafir 

 meal is suitable for calves when supplementing skim milk. (480) 

 Kafir grains moistened with water to stifle the dust may be fed 

 whole to mature swine. (858) This grain is somewhat astringent in 

 nature, and so is suited for feeding with alfalfa, clover, and other 

 somewhat laxative feeds. (531, 628) 



184. Milo. The most successful of the durra sorghums is milo, 

 now a staple crop over large portions of Texas, New Mexico, Colo- 

 rado, and Oklahoma, at elevations ranging from 1500 to 4000 feet 

 above sea level. Tests at Amarillo, Texas, 3 show a 5-year average 

 of 40 bushels of milo per acre, weighing 60 Ibs. per bushel. Accord- 

 ing to Ball, 4 milo is equal to or somewhat better than the kafirs as 



1 Country Gentleman, March 23, 1876. 3 U. S. Dept. Agr., Farmers ' Bui. 322. 



2 Cyc. Amer. Agr., Vol. II, p. 385. 4 Loc. cit. 



