THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



99 



stand from 4 to 9 inches apart in tlierow. 

 This will give a- good grain yield and pro- 

 duce plenty of fodder. Where forage 

 alone is wanted the seed may be drilled, 

 and the s-talks mown when in blossom, and 

 a second crop cut later in the fall. It 

 should not be planted until the weather is 

 warm and the soil in good condition for 

 germinating the seed, which rots easily if 

 the soil is wet and .cold- Seed may be 

 purchased from any of the established 

 house?, at about $5.00 per 100 pounds, the 

 price increasing for smaller lots. 



Cultivation of Kaffir corn is much the 

 same as that required by the old sorghum. 

 The roTts always grownear the surfaceand 

 deep cultivation is not desirable or advis- 

 able The plants are very tender and 

 s-iuail for the first few weeks of growth 

 hence wee^s must be kept down. Stalks 

 will generally reach a heightNif four feet, 

 and the seed heads will stand upright, re- 

 sembling sugar cane. The leaves are much 

 thicker than corn blades and the plant can 

 stand a long dry spell without suffering 

 any material l<xss. The tassels are rich in 

 pollen and fertilizat pn takes place more 

 <juicklj r and under more adverse conditions 

 than that of corn. If irrigated the watt-r 

 should be used very sparingly and not left 

 to run too long in one furrow. The sur- 

 face between rows should be kept slightly 

 stirred until the tassels begin to appear 

 when cultivation should be stopped. 



The corn can be cut with knives the 

 same as ordinary maize, and put_ into 

 shocks until ready for use. Some growers 

 use a header and merely cut off the seed, 

 leaving the fodder stand for pasture. The 

 lest plan is to cut the stalks, allow them 

 to cure well, tie in bundles and haul to the 

 barn or feed'ng corral. The heads may 

 then be cut off with knives, and threshed 

 or fed whole to the stock. Wherever 

 tested the feeding values have been very 

 satisfactory. I have used the corn for 

 fattening poultry and hogs and have noted 

 a very appreciable increase in milk when 

 fed to the cows. As a substitute for corn, 

 ^in districts where the dent varieties do not 



mature, the Kaffir certainly has very strong 

 claims. No farmer will lose anything by 

 giving this new plant a thorough trial, on 

 any tillable soil. 



JOEL SBOMAKER. 



ALFALFA OR LUCERN. 



For the past five years the Utah Experi- 

 ment Station has been carrying on a line 

 of investigation to determine at just what 

 time in its growth alfalfa should be cut for 

 best results, composition, annual yield per 

 acre, and feeding value all beingtaken into 

 account. In connection with this work 

 the feeding value of &uch well known 

 roughage crops as timotuy hay, corn fod- 

 der, and red clover has been compared 

 with that of alfalfa. 



For this experiment a field of alfalfa was 

 divided into three equal pieces, one being 

 regularly cut when the first blooms ap- 

 peared, the second when in full bloom, and 

 the third when half the blossoms had 

 falltc, these being denominated early, 

 medium, and late cutting respectively. 

 Incidentally there was made a comparison 

 of the first, second, and third crops. 



The details of this investigation are re- 

 ported in Bulletin No. 61 of the Utah 

 Station, a copy of which may be obtained 

 by addressing the Director at Logan. Be- 

 low are given the more important facts, to- 

 gether with the conclusions that may be 

 legitimately drawn from the results: 



1- 1 he largest annual yield of hay per 

 acre is obtained by the method of early 

 cutting and the lowest by the late, the 

 average result standing as follows: early 

 cutting 100, medium 92. and late 85. 



2. The early cut alfalfa contains the 

 highest per cent of protein and fat, the 

 most valuable food constituents, and the 

 lowest per cent of crude fiber, the most 

 indigestible portion. The former decreases 

 constantly while the latter increases 

 rapidly from early bloom to the full 

 maturity of the plant. 



3. The proportionate amount of leaves 

 to stems is greater at early bloom than at 

 any subsequent time, and both leaves and 



