288 



CHAPTER XVII 



According to the date of planting, two to three cuttings 

 may be obtained, yielding two to five tons of cured hay per 

 acre. Under irrigation in America nine to ten tons are 

 obtained. 



At Potchefstroom Experimental Station the following 

 yields were obtained :^ " The crop was planted on the 10th 

 November, the flowers appeared on the 12th January, and the 

 crop was cut shortly afterwards, when it was nearly six feet 

 high. The yield w^as '26,200 pounds of green fodder per acre; 

 the second cutting was taken off on the 11th March, when the 

 crop w^as again 8| feet high, and yielded 12,900 pounds of 

 green fodder. The total weight of green fodder from the acre 

 was 39,100 pounds, or approximately 19'2 tons. This yield 

 was obtained under very favourable conditions. Sown for seed 

 purposes on 10th November and harvested on 11th March, it 

 was eight feet high and yielded 900 lbs. of seed, as well as 

 20,900 pounds of straw per acre." 



(2) For Seed. — Seed will mature from 75 to 90 days, 

 giving an average yield of 400 to 600 pounds per acre. In 

 Arizona under irrigation Sudan grass yielded 2,250 pounds of 

 seed. The straw from the mature crop is of good feeding value, 

 and is fairly well liked by stock. 



If well matured and dry, the ordinary wheat thresher will 

 thresh the seed, which weighs from 32 to 44 pounds per bushel, 

 successfully. 



Composition of Sudan Gbass and othee Havs : (2). 



The composition compares favourably with most hay 

 grasses and millets. Sudan grass hay is reported to be more 

 palatable than the millets. Judging from the analyses, it 

 would seem to have a feeding value considerably higher than 

 teff hay. There is very little waste in feeding ; the use of the 

 crop for silage, therefore, does not seem to be warranted, parti- 

 cularly as it is easily made into hay. 



