276 FORAGE PLANTS AND THEIR CULTURE 



decreased, but the mixed hay is better than sorghum 

 alone. Amber sorgo is generally used in such mixtures, 

 but in Texas, Sumac is preferable because it is later. Any 

 of the medium late cowpeas may be employed, such as 

 Whippoorwill, Brabham and Unknown. 



Where moisture is ample, the seeding may consist of 

 | to | bushel per acre of sorghum and 1 bushel of cowpeas. 



When planted in rows under dry-land conditions, 

 the rate of planting needs to be regulated in accordance 

 with the probable amount of moisture. Theoretically 

 there should be one plant of cowpea to tw^o of sorghum. 

 At Chillicothe, Texas, 6 pounds of Whippoorwill cowpeas 

 to 1 pound of Amber sorghum proved very satisfactory. 



Other legumes that may be used in place of cowpeas 

 are soybean, bonavist beans and kulthi beans. 



330. Pasture value. Sorghum may be used as pas- 

 turage, but on account of the danger of poisoning has never 

 been much employed for this purpose alone. 



It is a common practice, however, to turn live stock 

 into a field of sorghum from which the heads have been 

 removed for seed, and when thus utilized there have been 

 no reports of deaths resulting. 



The principal danger from sorghum seems to be when 

 the young second growth from the stubble is pastured. 



331. Poisoning. That green sorghums are poisonous 

 under certain circumstances has long been known. The 

 cause is now generally admitted to be due to prussic acid, 

 which under some conditions is formed in the leaves both 

 of young and old plants, but has not been found in the 

 roots or seeds. The conditions under which prussic acid 

 is formed is not clearly understood, but it seems more 

 likely to occur when for any reason the growth of the plant 

 has been checked. As the same phenomenon occurs in 



