SORGHUMS 275 



When only small. areas are harvested, the curing may be 

 done with the aid of a pyramid. 



Sweet sorghum fodder, if left in the field, is likely to 

 become sour after about three months, due to the fer- 

 mentation of the sugar by yeasts. This difficulty is 

 greatest with the saccharine sorghums in humid climates, 

 and probably in nearly direct proportion to their sugar 

 content. 



327. Hay. Where sorghum is sown broadcasted or 

 in close drills, it is usually cut for hay when the seeds are 

 in the early dough stage. In dry regions it may be cut 

 with a binder and allowed to cure in the bundles. In 

 more humid localities, methods must be used to insure 

 as rapid curing as possible, as the rather thick, juicy stems 

 dry out but slowly. 



328. Silage. Sorghum has long been used as silage 

 and the results are nearly as satisfactory as corn. Even 

 in the semi-arid regions the use of the silo has become 

 common in recent years, and an increasing proportion 

 of the sorghum crop, both saccharine and grain varieties, 

 is thus preserved. With the grain sorghums an incidental 

 advantage is secured by the softening of the seeds during 

 silage fermentation, so that practically none are voided 

 by the animal undigested. 



For preserving as silage, sorghums should be allowed 

 to become fully mature. In palatability and feeding 

 value sorghum silage has proven to be nearly as good as 

 corn silage. 



329. Sorghum and legume mixtures. A mixture com- 

 posed of sorghum and cowpeas for hay has long been used. 

 The advantages of the mixture are that the sorghum 

 supports the cowpeas and in curing keeps the leaves from 

 becoming matted. The yield is probably somewhat 



