THE USES OF SORGHUM 339 



produced by corn, and the prevailing opinion is that it can 

 be cured more readily. The feeding value of sorghum fodder 

 is not as high as that of corn fodder which is well eared, but 

 it is higher than that of corn stover, and the sorghum is 

 more palatable. In the North, sorghum is more often used 

 as a soiling crop than as dry fodder. It is readily eaten by 

 all kinds of stock, and is valuable during the late summer 

 and early fall months for supplementing blue grass pastures, 

 which are usually sho.rt at that time. 



Sorghum is used to some extent as silage, though the 

 silage is not so good as that which is made from well-matured 

 corn. It is, however, succulent and palatable, and when sup- 

 plemented with good hay and cotton-seed meal or some other 

 concentrate, it is an excellent feed for dairy cows and other 

 classes of stock during the winter months. It is also a 

 valuable annual pasture crop, supplying an abundance of 

 feed for cattle, sheep, and hogs. Cattle should be pastured 

 on it rather sparingly at first, for there is some danger from 

 poisoning, particularly if the growth has been stunted from 

 drouth or frost. There is no danger from feeding sorghum 

 fodder, as the poisonous principle seems to disappear in 

 curing. Another use of sorghum is in clearing the land of 

 weeds. For this purpose it should be sown in close rows. 

 As the growth of the crop is slow at first, the land should be 

 harrowed once or twice in the direction of the rows about the 

 time the sorghum comes up, in order to check the weeds and 

 give it a chance. If this is done, it will soon start into rapid 

 growth and make a dense shade which is effective in smother- 

 ing out all other plants. 



431. Sorghum Sirup. When first introduced, sorghum 

 was grown only for the production of sirup and great hopes 

 were entertained that it could also be used for the economical 

 production of sugar. It is possible to make sugar of good 



