641 



Cultivation. 



If the sorghum is planted in rows, with the inten- 

 tion of cultivating, there should be space enough between 

 the rows to permit the use of the same machinery that 

 would be used in cultivating corn, that is from 36 to 42 

 inches. Sudan grass has been cultivated in single, 

 double and treble drill rows. This has a tendency to 

 make the hay coarse and has not given as high average 

 yields as closer drilling, but insures a crop in dry seas- 

 ons and puts the land in better shape for the next crop. 

 A six or eight shovel riding, cultivator is very satisfact- 

 ory for cultivating sorghum. As with all cultivation the 

 main object is to control the weeds and put the soil in 

 good condition for the next year's crop. When cultivat- 

 ing double or treble rows it is often necessary to remove 

 the two inner shovels. 



Seed Selection. 



Since forage sorghum will be harvested before the 

 seed is fully ripened it is necessary to grow a few rows 

 to maturity or purchase new seed each year. 



In selecting seed from the stalk considerable atten- 

 tion should be given to the selection of the best heads. 

 There is a great deal of variation in the heads, some of 

 them being poorly filled and light while others are com- 

 pact and heavy. The heavier heads on sturdy, leafy 

 plants should be selected for seed, tied up in bunches and 

 hung up to dry. When cured the seed heads can be beat- 

 en out. A good plan is to take a metal lined box, such 

 as is used under a fanning mill, and then pound or tramp 

 out the seed. 



Since it requires but 4 to 6 pounds of seed per acre 

 for cultivated sorghum a comparatively small number 

 of heads will be sufficient to seed a considerable area. 

 When a large amount of seed is required, the entire crop 

 grown from the selected heads may be threshed for seed 

 purposes with an ordinary thresher. The seed to be 

 planted is selected from the bulk by cleaning and grad- 

 ing with a fanning mill. 



